Slab Track Systems for High-Speed Railways

Master Degree Project

Georgios Michas

Division of Highway and Railway Engineering
Department of Transport Science
School of Architecture and the Built Environment
Royal Institute of Technology
SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden

TSC-MT 12-005
Stockholm 2012

























Georgios Michas, 2012
Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)
Department of Transport Science
Division of Highway and Railway Engineering
i

Preface

The last fifteen years many railway projects took place in Greece especially in Athens. The most
important was the construction of Athens metro which is still expanding. One of my best friends
Dimitrios was doing his placement with Attiko Metro and he invited me in the construction site.
This was the first time I saw a ballastless track. After many years, I decided to come to
Stockholm for my masters. The time I wanted to find a subject for my thesis I heard about a
railway expert we had in our school. I immediately decided to meet him and discuss about a
possible masters project within railways. This expert was Dr. Elias Kassa. Very soon he accepted
to be my supervisor and inspired me to work hard. I would like to thank him very much for the
valuable comments and directions he gave me in order to produce the best possible outcome.
There are many people who helped me during this study and I would like to express my gratitude
to them. Special thanks to my good friend and colleague Huan Feng who helped me a lot in the
modeling part and his comments on my work. I am grateful to my friends Panos Gkouriotis and
Antonis Karalis for their emotional support and good company during this period. Finally, I
would like to thank my family for the financial support during this period as well as for their love
and patient.

Stockholm, May 2012

Georgios Michas






ii















iii


Abstract

In the last 40 years an increase in train speed and axle load around the world and other
challenges in the conventional ballasted track system gave birth to ballastless railway track
system. This study examines in depth the various slab track systems that are being used today.
Their design characteristics as well as the various requirements for efficient use are thoroughly
explained. At least 34 different ballastless systems have been recorded in many railway networks
throughout the world. The most significant slab track systems are analysed in detail and
compared. Slab track designs have significant advantages comparing to ballasted tracks. The
most significant are the high stability of the track, the almost non-existent need for maintenance,
the long life cycle (60 years) and the reduced weight and height of the track. Their disadvantages
against the ballasted tracks are mainly summarized in their higher construction costs. The Finite
Element package ABAQUS/CAE is used to model a 3-D slab track design under static traffic
loading. The results suggest that slab tracks have profoundly better stability and durability
comparing to ballasted tracks mainly due to their higher stiffness and strength. The author
underlines the need for further studies to undoubtedly prove the claimed advantages of slab track
systems as well as to improve the costs associated with construction.
Keywords: Railway slab track, High-speed tracks, Finite element analysis, Rheda, Maintenance,
Life Cycle Cost






iv














v

Abbreviations

ABL Asphalt Bearing Layer
ATD AsphalTragschicht mit Direktauflagerung - Asphalt rail span with direct
Support
BBERS Balfour Beatty Embedded Rail System
BES Betontragschicht mit EinzelSttzpunkten - Concrete bearing layer with
individual support points
BTD BetonTragschicht mit Direktauflagerung - Concrete supportive layer with
direct support
BTE BetonTragschicht mit Einzelsttzpunkten - Concrete bearing layer with
individual support points
CBL Concrete Bearing Layer
ERS Embedded Rail Structure
FFC Feste Fahrbahn Crailshein - Slab track Crailshein
FPL Frost Protection Layer
FST Floating Slab Track
HBL Hydraulically Bonded Layer
HMA Hot Mix Asphalt
LCC Life Cycle Cost
LVT Low Vibration Track
LWR Long Welded Rail
PACT Paved Concrete Track
SATO Studiengesellschaft AsphalT Oberbrau - study group for asphalt superstructure
SBV Schwellen mit BitumenVerguss (German) - Sleepers with bituminous poured
mass
SFF Schwingungsgedmpfte Feste Fahrbahn - Vibration damped slab track
UIC International Union of Railways



vi


vii

Contents
Preface i
Abstract iii
Abbreviations v
1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 AIM OF THE STUDY ....................................................................................................... 1
1.2 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................. 1
2 WHAT IS SLAB TRACK 3
2.1 SLAB TRACK REQUIREMENTS ...................................................................................... 4
2.1.2 Subsoil conditions ........................................................................................ 4
2.1.3 Concrete bearing layer ................................................................................. 5
2.1.4 Asphalt bearing layer ................................................................................... 6
2.1.5 Hydraulically bonded bearing layer ............................................................. 6
2.1.6 Frost protective layer.................................................................................... 7
2.1.7 Noise emissions and vibrations .................................................................... 7
2.1.8 Further studies in noise emissions and vibrations ........................................ 8
2.1.9 Transition requirements ............................................................................. 12
2.1.10 Signaling systems & Electro-technical requirements ............................... 16
2.1.11 Slab track on bridges ................................................................................. 16
2.1.12 Slab track in Tunnels ................................................................................. 17
3 DIFFERENT SLAB TRACK SYSTEMS 19
3.1 DISCRETE RAIL SUPPORT ........................................................................................... 20
3.1.1 Sleepers or Blocks encased in Concrete..................................................... 20
3.1.1.1 Rheda system ............................................................................ 20
viii

3.1.1.2 ZBLIN system ........................................................................ 24
3.1.1.3 Heitkamp system ....................................................................... 26
3.1.1.4 SBV system ............................................................................... 26
3.1.1.5 Stedef, Wallo, Sonnevile-LVT systems .................................... 27
3.1.2 Sleepers on Top of Asphalt-Concrete layer ............................................... 31
3.1.2.1 ATD system .............................................................................. 31
3.1.2.2 BTD System .............................................................................. 33
3.1.2.3 Walter ........................................................................................ 34
3.1.2.4 Sato system ............................................................................... 34
3.1.2.5 FFYS system ............................................................................. 35
3.1.2.6 FFBS-ATS-SATO..................................................................... 37
3.1.2.7 Getrac system ............................................................................ 37
3.1.3 Prefabricated concrete slabs ....................................................................... 40
3.1.3.1 Shinkansen system .................................................................... 40
3.1.3.2 Bgl system ............................................................................... 43
3.1.3.3 BB-Porr system ...................................................................... 46
3.1.3.4 IPA slab track system ................................................................ 47
3.1.4 Monolithic Designs .................................................................................... 48
3.1.4.1 Lawn Track or RASENGLEIS system ..................................... 49
3.1.4.2 FFC slab track system ............................................................... 50
3.1.4.3 Hochtief/SHRECK-MIEVES/LONGO .................................... 50
3.1.4.4 BES system ............................................................................... 51
3.1.4.5 BTE slab track system .............................................................. 52
ix

3.1.4.6 PACT system ............................................................................ 52
3.2 CONTINUOUS RAIL SUPPORT ..................................................................................... 53
3.2.1 Embedded Rail Structures .......................................................................... 54
3.2.1.1 INFUNDO-EDILON system .................................................... 54
3.2.1.2 BBERS design .......................................................................... 56
3.2.1.3 Deck-Track design .................................................................... 58
3.2.2 Clamped and continuously supported rail .................................................. 59
3.2.2.1 Cocon Track system .................................................................. 59
3.2.2.2 Grooved rail system .................................................................. 60
3.2.2.3 Vanguard & KES designs ......................................................... 61
3.2.2.4 SFF system ................................................................................ 62
3.2.2.5 SAARGUMMI design .............................................................. 63
4 COMPARISON OF SLAB TRACK SYSTEMS 64
4.1 STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS .............................................................................. 64
4.2 TECHNICAL AND ECONOMICAL PARAMETERS ........................................................... 66
4.3 SLAB TRACK USE WORLDWIDE .................................................................................. 67
5 SLAB TRACK VERSUS BALLASTED TRACK 70
5.1 ADVANTAGES OF SLAB TRACK ................................................................................. 71
5.2 DISADVANTAGES OF SLAB TRACK ............................................................................ 72
5.3 BALLASTED TRACK ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES ............................................. 74
5.4 SLAB TRACK COSTS................................................................................................... 75
6 SLAB TRACK MODELING 81
6.2 ABAQUS MODULES .................................................................................................. 81
x

6.3 ELEMENTS ................................................................................................................. 81
6.4 TYPE OF ANALYSIS PERFORMED ................................................................................ 82
6.5 MODEL DESCRIPTION ................................................................................................ 82
6.5.1 Models Geometry ..................................................................................... 82
6.5.2 Properties ................................................................................................... 84
6.5.3 Loads .......................................................................................................... 85
6.6 COMPARISON OF BALLASTED AND SLAB TRACK MODELS ......................................... 86
7 CONCLUSIONS & FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS 91
REFERENCES 93
1

1 Introduction


1.1 Aim of the study

The purpose of this study is to thoroughly analyze the slab track concept and to underline its
positive and negative sides. A comparison between ballasted and ballastless tracks is essential in
order to clearly identify when and where the slab track systems perform better. A simple
numerical model is developed to make a comparison between ballasted and ballastless tracks.
However, it is not the intention of this study to suggest which track system suits one specific
condition, and the results from this comparison are preliminary and it is not recommended to use
the results from this comparison to arrive a final conclusion.

1.2 Background

The first slab track systems appear long ago, approximately at the beginning of the twentieth
century, but their extensive development and use started at 1970s. After 40 years of experience
with slab track systems the information about their overall performance is enough to at least start
seriously investigate and discuss if they fulfill or not the expected performance. The increased
railway speeds nowadays are making the slab track concept more attractive than ever before.
Most developed and many developing countries in the world have high speed lines (~300km/h)
and they are preparing to update their existing lines as well as to create new high speed railway
routes. A representative example is the High speed 2 project in UK. A high-speed (250mph) Y-
shaped rail network will connect London, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield and the
East Midlands (J ustine
19
). In many cases slab track systems seem to have the capabilities to serve
these high speed routes more efficiently than the ballasted tracks mainly due to their higher
structural stability, significantly lower need of maintenance, and longer life cycle (Esveld
5
). Big
discussions in railway industry have emerged questioning the validity and credibility of the
expected long term performance of the slab track systems. Many researchers have set the goal to
unfold the truth about their limits in order to help the railway experts make the right choices. It is
hoped that this thesis contributes to this direction and fills in a small piece of the puzzle.
The second chapter is devoted to the description of the general slab track structure analyzing
each track bed layer in details. The standard requirements for noise/vibration effects, transition
areas, signaling and electrical equipment as well as construction of slab track in tunnels and
2

bridges are thoroughly presented and discussed. Transition points as well as noise and vibration
emissions are rigorously examined and discussed presenting several studies conducted in these
fields the last years.
Chapter 3 deals with the numerous slab track systems that have been built and used the last four
decades. The ballastless systems are divided in two main categories: the discrete rail support and
the continuous rail support. These two categories are divided in subcategories which contain 34
slab track designs that have been used worldwide. Most of the slab track designs are analyzed in
details providing information concerning their geometry, structural behavior and in many cases
their construction methods.
In the fourth chapter a comparison between the various slab track systems is taking place in
terms of flexural stiffness, geometry, track alignment, technically and economically as well as in
total construction in km around the world. All systems have their own unique characteristics
indicating their capabilities. The selection of the right slab track system in a project is based on
this knowledge.
The advantages and disadvantages of slab track and ballasted track are analyzed in the fifth
chapter. It is essential to recognize their strong and weak points in order to efficiently compare
them. A comprehensive economical comparison as well as an overall performance comparison in
terms of stability and maintenance need is performed based on several studies conducted in the
past.
A 3D slab track model is built in ABAQUS to observe its behavior under static loading. A
general linear static analysis is performed and the results are compared with those obtained in a
similar ABAQUS simulation for a ballasted track. The results are presented and discussed in
terms of deflection and stress diagrams. To build this model the author used the structural
properties and geometry of the Rheda 2000 German slab track.
The final chapter summarizes the findings of this study discussing the overall performance of the
slab track systems against the ballasted tracks. To improve the existing knowledge in slab tracks
and be able to illustrate their advantages with certainty, the author makes some recommendations
for future studies.






3

2 What is Slab Track

The so-called slab track is a concrete or asphalt surface that is replacing the standard ballasted
track. This structure is made of stiff and brittle materials, hence the required elasticity can be
obtained by inserting elastic components below the rail or/and the sleeper (Lichtberger
22
).
Concrete is the prevailing material in slab track applications throughout the world. Only in very
special occasions asphalt has been used as material for slab track constructions, and this is due to
its high construction demands (Talampekos
41
).
The slab track design can be found mainly in civil structures in high-speed lines and light rail.
There are two different approaches of slab track design, and these are discrete rail support and
continuous rail support (Esveld
5
). There are many different slab track designs based on these
approaches and they are analyzed in detail at chapter three.
What defines which track design is the most suitable depends mainly at the soil conditions. Each
slab track system has different flexural stiffness, which should reckon in according to soil
conditions because the whole system depends solely in its bearing capacity. When the soil for
instance is soft a system with high flexural stiffness is needed in order to act as bridge across
weaker spots and local deformations in the substructure (Esveld
5
).
The whole structure is mainly composed from five layers as shown in figure 1, subgrade or
subsoil (foundation), frost protective layer, hydraulically bonded bearing layer, Concrete/Asphalt
bearing layer, and the rail (Franz
29
).

Figure 1: Three usual construction profiles for slab tracks (Darr
11
)
4

In the following subchapters the requirements of slab track are described and analyzed in detail.

2.1 Slab track requirements

There are several specific requirements that need to be addressed before the design and
construction of a slab track. According to the bibliography (Lichtberger
22
, Profillidis
28
, Esveld
5
,
Talampekos
40,41
) these requirements are shaped mainly in accordance with the ground
conditions, the chosen slab track design, the supporting layers underneath the slab, the location
to be build such as in a tunnel or a bridge where most transition points are met, the materials, the
traffic, the load per axle, noise restrictions, level of maintenance, construction costs, weather
conditions, signaling and electronic systems to be used as well as passenger comfort.

2.1.2 Subsoil conditions

The slab track requires stable subsoil basically free of settlements in order to perform adequately.
This is why most times slab track is found in tunnels and bridges (Lichtberger
22
). It is a fact that
the adjustments to the track geometry after construction are very limited, hence special
preparation of the subsoil before construction is essential (Esveld
5
).

The substructure requirements are the following:
1. The substructure of slab track must be secured down to a depth of 2.5m below the
bearing plate by special earthwork treatments (Lichtberger
22
).
2. A frost protective layer not less than 70cm thick should be applied to keep frost away
from the bearing layers (Lichtberger
22
).
3. In case of embankments the lower bearing layer should not be less than 1.80m thick and
it should be made up of the top layer of the filling, for cuttings of the soil below, or the
soil has to be exchanged, if the bearing capacity of the existing soil is insufficient
(Lichtberger
22
).
4. In case of soft cohesive or organic soils the safer solution is to exchange them at a depth
not less than 4m from the upper edge of the track (Lichtberger
22
).
5. The ballast in slab track construction is replaced by a concrete or asphalt bearing layer
(Lichtberger
22
).
5

6. The adjustment capabilities of the slab track in elevation vary between +26 and -4 mm. In
case of adjustments due to construction errors the allowed elevation changes are +6 and -
4 mm. The rest 20 mm must be kept for necessary adjustments due to the possibility of
future settlements (Talampekos
40
).
7. The lateral displacements may be compensated within a range of 5 mm. In case of
construction errors only 1 mm adjustments are allowed (Talampekos
40
).
8. To use the slab track the groundwater should be at least 1,5 m below the head of the rail
(Talampekos
40
).
9. To carry out the essential geotechnical assessments, ground-probing at least every 50 m is
required (Darr & Fiebig
12
).
10. The modulus of elasticity of the top surface of the substructure taken from the second
load step in a plate loading test for newly constructed track should be E
v2


60 N/m
2
and
for existing tracks this should be E
v2


45 N/m
2
(Esveld
5
).

2.1.3 Concrete bearing layer

According to Lichtberger
22
the concrete bearing layer should satisfy the following features:
The required profile tolerance on the surface of concrete bearing layer is 2 .
The quality of concrete should correspond to quality B35 and should be highly
resistant to frost.
The cement content of the concrete should be between 350 and 370 kg/m
3
.
The necessary reinforcement to limit the formation of cracks must be between 0.8 and
0.9% of the cross section of the concrete. This standard ensures that the width of
cracks will not exceed 0.5 mm.
The typical overall height is 200 mm.
In the case of a design without sleepers the surface is cut at intervals of about 2 m to
reassure controlled crack formation.
The concrete layer can be mounted after it has achieved a minimum resistance to
pressure of more than 12 N/mm
2
.
Any increase in the thickness of the concrete layer results in higher bending loads,
hence a minimum allowable thickness of 180mm should be observed.

Few extra details about the concrete bearing layer are mentioned in Talampekos
40
. A finisher is
used to lay the concrete bearing layer and the width of only one line is 3.16 . In case the
concrete bearing layer is reinforced to reduce cracking, the reinforcement is placed at the center
of the slabs cross section and it is usually consisted by longitudinal 20/20 and lateral 16/40
reinforcement. The concrete should have adequate chemical resistance.
6

2.1.4 Asphalt bearing layer

Some key facts about the features of the asphalt bearing layer are (Lichtberger
22
):
The asphalt bearing layer is applied in four different layers with a total standard thickness
of 300 mm.
The required construction tolerance on the surface is 2 .
Running on the asphalt bearing layer is allowed when the temperature is below 50.
The asphalt surface has high sensitivity to UV-rays, hence the surface must be protected
by spreading stone chips, gravel etc.

2.1.5 Hydraulically bonded bearing layer

A hydraulically bonded bearing layer is a mix of aggregates with a bonding agent placed under
the concrete or asphalt bearing layer and contributes to an increase in the total bearing capacity
of the entire system (Lichtberger
22
). This layer is lying on the frost protecting layer and its
average compressive strength after twenty-eight days is 15 /
2
(Talampekos
41
). Some key
features of this layer are the following:
The typical thickness of the layer should be 300mm (Lichtberger
22
)
The laying of the hydraulically bonded bearing layer is carried out by a road finisher
usually in two layers of thickness 12 and their connection should be obtained while
they are still wet (Talampekos
40
).
As the finisher lays the hydraulically bonded layer, automatically creates pseudo joints
every 5 m with thickness 35% of the total thickness of the layer in order to control and
reduce cracking (Talampekos
40
).
A mix of mineral aggregates is used like sandstone, crushed sand and stone chips. The
maximum grain size should not exceed the 32 mm (Lichtberger
22
).
Portland cement is used as bonding agent, and its content is around 110 Kg/m
3

(Lichtberger
22
).
The minimum width of the layer is 3.8 m and the deviations of thickness from the
anticipated level should be +0.5 and 1.5 (Where + is upwards and
downwards) (Talampekos
40
).
The edges of the hydraulically bonded layer should be constructed with an outward 4%
inclination to prevent water infiltration between the hydraulically bonded bearing layer
and the concrete or asphalt bearing layer (Talampekos
40
).
The hydraulically bonded layer should contribute to achieve a modulus of deformation of

2
120 /
2
on the top surface of the frost protection layer (Lichtberger
22
).
7


2.1.6 Frost protective layer

According to Lichtberger
22
this layer is protecting the upper layers from frost; it can also
compensate the differences in stiffness of the various layers towards the subsoil and leads the
surface water away rapidly. It is resistant to weathering and frost and is consisted of fine gravel
to prevent water from rising from the subsoil. This layer should have very low permeability
values (1 10
5
or 1 10
4
/) to serve adequately. According to Talampekos
41
the modulus
of deformation at least at the upper part of this layer should be of
2
120 /
2
. To
achieve that, the upper part of this layer should be laid with materials similar to the above
hydraulically bonded bearing layer.

2.1.7 Noise emissions and vibrations

As stated in Lichtberger
22
, the slab track produces significantly higher noise radiation compared
to the ballasted track. The noise has been recorded to be +5 dB more than that in conventional
ballasted track. The reason is the uncoupling of the rail fastening and the lack of noise absorption
of the ballast bed. Hence the higher noise emissions are solely produced due to the nature of the
slab track structure and are profoundly increased within the frequency range of 250 to 1000 Hz.
Many solutions have been investigated and finally recommended as appropriate to resolve the
noise and vibration problems but all of them lack either in serviceability lifetime either appear to
be very expensive or both. Noise absorbing material, noise protective barriers, acoustically
innovative slab tracks (soled sleepers) are some of the proposals, which deal satisfactorily with
the noise reduction.





8


2.1.8 Further studies in noise emissions and vibrations

In a study carried out in Singapore by Cui and Chew
13
the effectiveness of a floating slab track to
stationary and moving harmonic loads was investigated by using the so called receptance
method. In more details, the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit System (SMRT) use in tunnels
through sensitive areas, where ground borne vibrations cause problems to the industrial or/and
commercial activities, concrete sleepers set in a continuous concrete slab referred to as fixed slab
type (FT), and floating slab track (FST) which consists of discrete concrete units supported by
resilient pads. The natural frequency of the floating slab system is designed to be 10 Hz. It is
known though that after aging this frequency may increase to12~24 . The analyses of these
two systems illustrate that the FST can perform adequately and reduce the forces transmitted to
the ground if the frequency of excitation force is greater than 15 .
The fact that railway slab track systems generally produce more noise than ballasted track, laid to
the development of a silent slab track in the Dutch ICES by optimizing the track (Van Lier
34
).
In this paper the noise emissions of a newly designed slab track system with embedded rails is
compared with the noise emission of existing slab track and existing ballasted track. The
acoustically optimized design was an embedded less stiff rail on a stiffer suspension. A rail (SA-
42) 80 high and 80 wide is used as illustrated in figure 2.


Figure 2: Cross-sectional view of the optimized slab track (Van Lier
34
)
The rail is continuously supported by a stiffer pad and asymmetrically embedded in a stiffer
elastomer. The concrete plate is thinner comparing to the existing embedded slab track system
and the gutters are 110mm wide. The results of the analysis suggest that the optimized slab track
emits between 4 and 6 dB less noise than ballasted track. So having in mind that the existing slab
9

track produces between 3 and 5 dB more noise (Van Lier
34
) comparing to the ballasted track is
profound that the improvement achieved in the so called silent slab track is significant.
Another investigation in ground vibrations conducted in 2006 (S.J Cox
33
) laid to the construction
of a large test rig (figure 3) based on three 2.5 m long full-scale floating slab track elements. Two
12 m rails were attached to the slab elements with different fastening systems that can provide a
wide range of stiffness values. The purpose of this study is to measure the dynamic properties of
a range of different floating slab and direct fixation fastening systems.


Figure 3: The CONVURT test rig (S.J Cox
33
)

The results show that floating slab track forms perform better between 40 and 100 Hz
frequencies when fitted with soft rail fasteners (stiffness 20 /) than with stiff fasteners
(stiffness 50 /).
A study conducted by Steenbergen, Metrikine and Esveld
23
illustrates different ways to provide
adequate vertical stiffness of the track system and hence to minimize the level of slab track
vibrations in order to achieve very slow rate of deterioration. The most common approach to deal
with this is to apply massive soil improvements. An alternative solution is to increase the
bending stiffness of the slab, e.g. by applying an eccentric reinforcement. These solutions are
investigated in order to reveal the consequences for the dynamic track and ground response. To
assess the effectiveness of these engineering solutions a classical model of a beam on elastic
half-space subject to a moving load was employed. The results suggest that an increase of the
10

slab stiffness is most effective for high frequencies, while soil improvement is a better solution
for low frequencies. It is also found that soil improvement can result to an increased critical train
velocity. A wider slab increases the slab-soil contact with result to have decreased slab
displacements in the low-frequency regime. As it is stated by the authors of the paper
Steenbergen, Metrikine and Esveld
23
, as a most economic solution one may think of
requirements of a minimum stiffness of the subsoil in relation to train passenger comfort and
critical speeds, whereas the remaining part of the required stiffness can be provided by the shape-
optimized slab with a maximum contact width.
The large scale of high-speed railway construction in China inevitably led to the construction of
railway station buildings (waiting halls and platforms) on or under bridges. Hence the noise and
vibration problems created by the train-slab track interaction on bridges become a very important
issue to be investigated in a study conducted by Xin and Gao
39
. Therefore, a vehicle-track-bridge
couple system dynamics model is established based on multibody dynamics theory and a finite
element method. The created model consists of vehicle model, track-bridge model and wheel/rail
interaction model. The model tests the effectiveness of elastic materials placed under the slab
(figure 4).


Figure 4: Track layout: (a) longitudinal section and (b) lateral section (Xin and Gao
39
)

11

The system dynamic responses are calculated, and the results illustrate that the application of a
slab mat layer leads to significantly smaller vibrations on the bridge. It is important to point out
that in low frequency range the vibrations are enlarged making this method unsuitable. The slab
mat layer affects less on wheel/rail force and bridge displacements than on rail and slab
displacements and it also results in rail and slab acceleration variations. The applied slab mat
layer affects dominantly the bridge acceleration. Finally the authors concluded that a slab mat
layer of low stiffness (20 40 /
3
) is more suitable than that of high stiffness. That does
not make the low stiffness slab mat the absolutely best solution because a slab mat with very low
stiffness can lead to increased displacements of rail and slab, thereby deteriorate track life and
smoothness.
Since the birth of slab track systems the noise and vibrations were an important issue that needed
to be controlled e.g. In a paper dating back to 1976 (P.Grootenhuis
27
) it is clearly illustrated how
they manage to reduce noise and vibration emissions in two specific routes of the London
subway (cut-and-cover tunnel) as well as to propose a new design of a floating slab track that
could be used into a bored tunnel despite its cross section area limitations (figure5).


Figure 5: A typical section through a tunnel with a floating slab (P.Grootenhuis
27
).

Several studies have been conducted and several successful solutions have been implemented to
handle the higher noise and vibration emissions. The above described studies are a small sample
of the research that has been carried out which illustrate the variety of the approaches one can
have in order to improve slab track noise and vibration problems. The need for further study is
clear as the slab track systems develop and with the increased high-speed lines worldwide are
used more and more. This need is also illustrated in the Proceedings of the Eastern Asia Society
for Transportation Studies (Chang
38
), in which the authors introduce the reader with the different
12

floating slab track applications and the noise vibration problems in slab track systems. The paper
concludes, urging the need of further research in floating slab track systems to be used in the
future slab track systems in Taiwan.

2.1.9 Transition requirements

Special attention should be given in transition areas. According to Esveld
5
transition points occur
in substructures between embankments, bridges and tunnels. There are also superstructure
transitions between slab track and ballasted track. According to Talampekos
41
transitions can be
found also between embankments and culverts as well as between reinforced and unreinforced
areas in a slab track system. The transitions points are the areas where the rigidity of the track
shifts due to the different elastic properties between the dissimilar track structures
(Talampekos
40
). The transitions are able to affect the smoothness and the safety of a ride as well
as to damage the superstructure of the track (Talampekos
40
), in figure 6 a damaged transition
area is shown.


Figure 6: Typical differential settlement of a freight railroad ballasted track bridge approach
(Read & Li
10
).

The principle train response at a transition is clearly illustrated in figure 7.
13


Figure 7: Principle of train response at a transition (Esveld
4
)

The most common techniques to deal with this problem are the following:
Equalize stiffness by a gradual decrease of the elasticity of the rail fastening (Esveld
5
).
The application of two extra rails over a length of 20 meters. According to Talampekos
40

the extra rails should be positioned 5m on slab track and 15m on the ballasted track, see
figure 8.


Figure 8: Two extra rails at the transition between slab track and ballasted track

Reducing settlements through stabilization of ballast by chemical binders (Esveld
5
).
The application of a reinforced anchor at the end of the slab track in combination with a
horizontal slab as buffer at the beginning of the ballasted track (Esveld
5
).
Smoothing the stiffness/modulus step change at the interface by gradually increasing
stiffness on the lower stiffness side of the transition, see figure 9.

14


Figure 9: Transition remedy in which the stiffness step change is modified with a gradual
increase in stiffness (Read & Li
10
).


Installation of a series of increasingly longer ties on the ballasted track side of the
transition, as shown in figure 10. Although this is one of the simplest and older solutions
an analysis using GEOTRACK Carried out by Sussan and Selig (Read & Li
10
) indicate
that despite its larger ballast bearing area, it does little to increase the track stiffness.


Figure 10: AREMA Plan No. 913-52 approach ties for open deck bridges and trestles
(Read & Li
10
)

The use of geo-piers (stone columns, concrete piles, sand and timber columns) is an
effective way to stabilize and strengthen weak subgrades in transitions, see figure 11.

15


Figure 11: Stone columns installed in approach subgrade (Read & Li
10
).

The research results in Digest 79 (Read & Li
10
) illustrate few of the most efficient transition
designs for rail transit applications based on previous researches and analysis carried out by
GEOTRACK analysis. Few of the most efficient enhancements as indicated in Digest 79
10
are
the following:
Matching the vertical fastener stiffness of direct-fixation track, ballast deck, or open deck
bridges to the track modulus and rail deflection behavior of the at-grade ballasted track,
without modification of the at-grade track, provides the most efficient and cost effective
design.
The use of 10 mm concrete tie pads with a nominal stiffness of 200 to 300 kip/in (kN/m)
on ballast deck bridge concrete ties provides adequate resilience to transition to ballasted
track on average-stiffness subgrade.
Subgrades with low stiffness (

5 ) require some modification in addition to the

controlled resilience of the structure track. To modify the physical state of the soil it is
necessary to install a structural reinforcing layer between the ballast and subgrade such as
HMA (Hot Mix Asphalt) underlayment or a concrete approach slab.
In new constructions, weak subgrade conditions must be avoided by careful soil selection
and the application of geotechnical best practices.

Despite the numerous pre-mentioned measures that can improve functionality of transitions,
there are still improvements or even new methods that have to be discovered in order to develop
a safer and more comfortable railway environment in the future (Lichtberger
22
).


16

2.1.10 Signaling systems & Electro-technical requirements

The signaling equipment installation must be erected and installed in place hence free spaces
have to be provided in advance. The same apply for the electro-technical installations hence their
planning has to be completed prior to the construction of the slab track (Lichteberger
22
). As
stated in the UIC report
15
, the ballastless track layouts have to take into account interfaces with
the signaling and the overhead contact lines. It concerns mainly questions of site reservations for
equipment, of electrical connections to the rail, of insulation between rails and of possible
ground linkage of metallic reinforcements. These problems have to be taken into account
seriously but do not play any role in the decision of the suitable slab track system. The fastening
systems can ensure a safe insulation performance between rails.

2.1.11 Slab track on bridges

The application of slab track according to Esveld
5
could pose problems if certain mechanical
behavior is not considered. A bridge provide a solid foundation for slab track, but temperature
changes and traffic loading can cause longitudinal movements, bend of the spans and to twist
over the supports. Hence the superstructure must be able to withstand these movements.
The following solutions are implemented, when slab track systems are applied in short bridges
(Esveld
5
):
By reducing the clamping force in fasteners, the movements of the bridge are
counterbalanced if the sleepers on top of the reinforced concrete roadbed are rigidly
connected to the bridge deck or direct rail fastening systems are used.
In bridges up to 15 m long, a continuous rail-support connected to the bridge can provide
adequate rigidity.
For spans up to 25 m, sliding slabs allow the bridge structure to move freely underneath
the slab track.
By applying a track frame concrete or concrete-asphalt roadbed, the track lies freely
movable on top. This is possible due to the possible motions and twisting of the sleepers
on top of the bridge structures and spans up to 10 m with frame-spans limited to 25 m.


17


Figure 12: A typical bridge cross-section with the required dimensions of free space (Darr &
Fiebig
12
)

2.1.12 Slab track in Tunnels

Most slab track constructions take place in tunnels where the ground is stiff and stable. The
application of slab track in tunnels is very efficient in terms of construction, durability, strength
and economy. The slab track can be built directly on the tunnel base and the thickness of the slab
in many cases can be reduced compared to the slab track in earth structures (Lichtberger
22
). In
addition, Esveld
5
states that when slab track is applied in tunnels the drainage requirements, as
well as vehicle access in case of calamities and safety issues, must be guaranteed. The available
free space of the tunnel may influence the decision of the most appropriate slab track system.

18


Figure 13: Tunnel cross-section with the required dimensions of free space (Darr & Fiebig
12
)




19

3 Different slab track systems

The different slab track systems developed around the world are presented in this chapter. These
systems are listed in table 1 and are divided in two main categories, discrete rail support systems
and continuous rail support systems. Further, these two are divided in four and two subcategories
respectively.

Table 1: Different slab track systems (Bastin
31
, Miodrag
24
, Esveld
5
, Lichtberger
22
)
Ballastless Track Systems
Discrete Rail Support Continuous Rail Support
With Sleepers or
Blocks encased
in concrete
Sleepers on Top
of Asphalt-
Concrete
Roadbed
Prefabricated
Concrete Slabs
Monolithic
Designs
Embedded
Rail Structure
(ERS)
Clamped and
Continuously
Supported Rail
Rheda ATD Shinkansen
Lawn Track
(Rasengleis)
Deck Track
Cocon
Track
Rheda-Berlin BTD Bgl FFC
INFUNDO -
Edilon
ERL
Rheda 2000 SATO BB-Porr Hochtief BBERS Vanguard
Zblin FFYS IPA BES

KES
Stedef GETRAC
BTE-
BWG/HILTI
SFF
SONNEVILLE-
LVT
WALTER PACT Saargummi
Heitkamp





SBV
WALO


20

3.1 Discrete rail support

When the continuous rail is attached on supporting points (usually fastened on sleepers), then the
slab track system belongs to the discrete rail support category as shown in table 1.

3.1.1 Sleepers or Blocks encased in Concrete

3.1.1.1 Rheda system

The Rheda system in its various forms is one of the most commonly used slab track systems
worldwide, with 400 km in Germany (Bastin
31
), 150 km in Holland, 226 km in Taiwan, 228
km in Spain, 40 km trial section near Tschechien in China, 22 km in Greece (ISAP
49
,
ERGOSE
48
), as well as two short sections in Britain and other shorter sections in various
countries.
This system is widely used due to its adequate performance and long experience comparing to
other slab track systems (Talampekos
40
). The Rheda design is free of any patent rights, thus,
since its birth it has been under continuous development by various contractors and many
different structural versions have been created to fulfill different specifications in various
projects.
The first Rheda system to be constructed was in the Rheda - Wiedenbruck station (Germany) in
1972 (Lichtberger
22
). Despite its continuous development, all the designs are based in the
original classic Rheda design preserving the following common features:
Encased concrete sleepers
Sleepers have the same length 2.6 m (an exception is the Rheda Berlin system which is
shorter, figure 14)
The adjustments of the track position are achieved by vertical and horizontal adjustments.
The Rheda systems rest on a hydraulically bonded layer (HBL) 30 cm thick and a frost
protection layer (FPL) approximately 50 cm thick.
The minimum concrete quality for the concrete slab is C30/37.
The overall heights of the various Rheda designs are between 830mm and 961 mm (rail
top to the top of the FPL).

The Rheda system is very flexible allowing for design changes and enhancements in order to fit
the demands of each project. Hence it can be found in tunnels, bridges, as well as on earth
structures. Figure 14 illustrates the most significant design versions of the Rheda system.
21



Figure 14: The most significant developed Rheda systems (Rail One
30
)


22

Rheda 2000
The latest developed version is Rheda 2000 as shown in figure 15. This system is flexible
enough to allow for design adaptations according to the individual constraints of a project. The
basic system structure, however, always consists of:
Modified twin-block sleepers (B 355 W60M SBS) with untensioned braced girder
reinforcement (filigran type) as shown in figure 15 (Lichtberger
22
).
The sleepers are securely and reliably embedded in a monolithic concrete slab
(Lichtberger
22
).
Highly elastic rail fastenings are used to ensure the required vertical rail deflection for
load distribution and for smooth train travel (Talampekos
40
).
The use of rail fastening systems (vossloh 300) with a soft elastic pad 10~12 mm thick
with static elasticity C
s
=22,5 2,5 kN/mm results in a deflection of about 1,5 mm under
a static 22,5 t axle load (Bastin
31
).
Cross section of the rail at least UIC 60 (Kalamatas
20
).


Figure 15: Rheda 2000 on earthworks (Rail One
30
)



23


Figure 16: Bi-block sleeper B 355 W60M (dimensions in mm) (Bastin
30
).


Figure 18: Completed Rheda track and the concrete asphalt filled space between them (Bastin
30
).

The goals of Rheda developments
According to Esveld
5
and Rail One
30
the primary goals of the Rheda system are the following:
Uniform system architecture.
Improvement of the monolithic quality.
Design optimization.
Integrated techniques for slab track installation.
24

Great adaptability to all types of substructure and models executed, by means of
application of cast in place concrete for the concrete track-supporting layer (Rail One
30
).
Flexible, high performance installation procedures on the basis of simple installation
steps reproducible for both manual as well as automated procedures (Rail One
30
).

3.1.1.2 ZBLIN system

The zblin slab track system development started as early as the late 1970s (Zblin
46
). It is
consisted of concrete twin-block or mono-block sleepers embedded in a monolithic concrete slab
as shown in figure 19 and the sleepers are pushed in the fresh concrete by means of vibration
(Lichtberger
22
, Esveld
5
). This system was developed in order to modernize the mechanical
equipments of construction in order to increase the construction speed and reduce costs
(Kalamatas
20
). In general terms the zblin slab track system is placed on a HBL 30cm thick and a
FPL 50cm thick under the HBL. The concrete bearing layer (CBL) is normally 28cm thick and
2.8m wide (Lichtberger
22
), figure 20. The most recent zblin developed system as shown in
figure 21 is 24 cm thick and the two individually reinforced concrete sleeper heads are connected
by steel lattice trusses to form a twin-block sleeper. This developed system shown in fig 21 has
been used in China in a 460km long high speed double track in 2005 (Zblin
46
).


Figure 19: Zblin Design, mono-block sleeper (Lichtberger
22
)


25


Figure 20: Zblin construction with twin-block sleepers (Franz
29
)


Figure 21: Most recent developed Zblin system (Zblin
46
)

Key features of Zblin design construction:
In an eight hours shift a production of 150 to 200 m can be achieved.
This slab track system does not require concrete troughs for controlled crack formations.
To achieve a regular crack pattern and acceptable crack widths, the longitudinal and
lateral steel reinforcing bars are placed near the bottom of the CBL.
26

The zblin slab track system is made rigid in order to cope sufficiently with uncertainties
that may exist regarding the bearing capacity of the subsoil.

3.1.1.3 Heitkamp system

The basic heitkamp design follows the same principles of the classic Rheda design system with
concrete trough (Darr & Fiebig
12
). The trough is filled with gravel instead of concrete, allowing
common rail construction machines to tamper and align the rail in the predetermined position
(Franz
29
). After establishing the proper rail positioning, the hollow spaces in the ballast bed are
poured out with a cement emulsion (Lichtberger
22
). A 390 m long test section has been
constructed in 1996 in Germany. The dimensions and further technical details of this design can
be observed in figure 22.


Figure 22: Cross section of the Heitkamp slab track system (Darr & Fiebig
12
)

3.1.1.4 SBV system

The SBV slab track system has analogous construction technique to Rheda construction system.
The track is placed on a supportive asphalt layer at a predetermined position and infused with
mastic asphalt under and between the concrete sleepers. The only way to pour the asphalt during
construction is by hand (manual labour), making the construction procedure more difficult and
27

time consuming. The undersides of the concrete sleepers contain a non slip profile in order to
provide the necessary lateral displacement resistance, especially during summer months where
asphalt warms. The SBV system is no longer used due to the development of other slab track
systems using asphalt layers, which can achieve a 2 mm precision (Darr & Fiebig
12
, Franz
29
).

3.1.1.5 Stedef, Wallo, Sonnevile-LVT systems

The stedef (French), Sonneville-LVT (Swiss) and Wallo (Swiss) slab track systems are governed
by the same construction and design principles. As shown in figure 23, a resilient pad is placed
under the sleeper and then encased in a rubber boot providing high flexibility and reassures high
protection against noise and vibrations.


Figure 23: (a) Sleeper of the Sonneville-LVT system, (b) Systems with elastically encased
sleepers / supporting blocks, poured into an in-situ concrete track slab (Sonneville
35
,
Kalamatas
20
)

The construction principle used in these systems, is called Top/Down. This building method
consists, after installation of sleepers and rails and regulating of geometry, to pour in situ an infill
concrete between the supporting structure and the rubber boot (UIC report
15
). One sensitive area
of those systems is the possible erosion can caused by water. It is possible to have water
infiltration from the rubber boot making the sleepers loosen, not stabilized and firm as before
(Kalamatas
20
). On the other side their big advantage is the easy exchange of sleepers and every
supporting point (resilient pad, rubber boot etc.). The simple construction method and the easy-
28

flexible maintenance capabilities of these systems make them a very competitive solution with
result to be widely used worldwide (Kalamatas
20
).

Stedef
The Stedef system has been constructed in several countries around the world, it is
approximately estimated that 200 km (51 km, Athens metro) at least have been constructed only
in Europe (UIC report
15
, ATTIKO METRO
1
). This system is mainly used in tunnels and the rail
fastening which traditionally have been used is Nabla. In figure 24 is illustrated a classical Stedef
system. The most recent development of the Stedef system is the Sateba S312 shown in figure
25. This development brought two improvements:
1. It makes possible the repair of a damage caused after a derailment or material failure
having reduced the possibility of total replacement of the sleeper without being necessary
to replace the wedging concrete.
2. It is provided with a polyurethane waterproof seal preventing the water to infiltrate from
the edges of the rubber boot.


Figure 24: Cross section of the Stedef slab track system (Darr & Fiebig
12
).

29


Figure 25: Classical and recent developed Sateba S312 Stedef System (UIC report
15
).

Sonneville-LVT
All the technical details for the Sonneville-LVT system are illustrated in figures 26 and 27. As
mentioned earlier, this system is very similar to Stedef as well as Wallo systems using a rubber
boot as shown in figure 23 (Esveld
5
). The fastenings that have been used for this system are
Vossloh W14, Pandrol e-clip or fastclip and Sonneville S.75 (Sonneville
35
). This system is one
of the oldest and most used around the world, having 1031 km of LVT constructed tracks in
total. One of the most significant LVT constructions worldwide is the Channel tunnel (France
England) 100 km double track.


Figure 26: Sonneville track used in the Eurotunnel (Bilow,Gene & Randich
9
)


30

The latest version of the Sonnevile-LVT system is called LVT high attenuation and it has larger
blocks and softer resilient pads for higher demands of noise and vibration attenuation, see figure
27. These two characteristics result in a lower natural frequency of the system that lies in the
range of floating slabs (Sonnevvile
35
). The LVT system offer a lower profile version if needed,
see figure 27.


Figure 27: Standard and High Attenuation LVT systems, standard and low LVT profile
(Sonneville
35
)

Walo
Walo is a Swiss developed twin block variant related slab track system pretty similar to Stedef
and Sonneville-LVT. The similarities of this system can be observed in figure 28.


31


Figure 28: Walo system in tunnel

3.1.2 Sleepers on Top of Asphalt-Concrete layer

Results have shown that these systems perform adequately and that asphalt layers can provide a
stable and supportive layer suitable to replace the conventional ballast layer. Due to the asphalt
properties, these systems can perform slight plastic adaptations when it is needed. According to
Esveld
5
, when higher pressures occur below certain sleepers than below others, asphalt will
deform because of its visco-elastic properties until a new equilibrium has been established
leaving the pressures more leveled. Few more positive features of these systems are that allow
exchange of sleepers in case of damage and generally are easily maintained.

3.1.2.1 ATD system

The ATD system consists of an asphalt roadbed set up over the cement stabilized support layer
(HBL) (Darr & Fiebig
12
). The sleepers are placed on the asphalt layer and the ridge in the middle
of track between them takes up the lateral forces (Lichtberger
22
). After the track grid horizontal
adjustments, the free space between the ridge and the sleepers is cast in a synthetic material. The
construction of these includes the use of twin-block as well as mono-block sleepers which are
equipped with a groove on their lower surface which can resist all the lateral forces
(Lichtberger
22
, Esveld
5
), see figure 30,a. The ATD system as shown in figure 29 is consisted by
the following basic elements (Franz
29
):
Hydraulically-bonded Layer (HBL).
Asphalt Supportive Layer (ABL or ASL).
Twin-block sleeper B350W60 or mono-block sleeper B320W54.
Elastic rail fastenings and the UIC 60 rail.
32


Figure 29: ATD system design (Darr & Fiebig
12
)


Figure 30: ATD system sleepers, (a) mono-block and (b) twin-block sleepers

To provide extra support and greater resistance of the sleepers to survive sudden breakings of the
continuous welded rail, ballast is placed around the sleepers or heavier sleepers maybe used
(UIC report
15
). According to Esveld
5
, the asphalt is applied with 2 mm accuracy and is laid in
three or even four different layers (figure 29). The asphalt mix can guarantee a 50 to 60 year life
span under extreme weather conditions.
33

3.1.2.2 BTD System

The BTD system consists of mono-block sleepers only placed on a concrete supporting layer
(CBL). Every second sleeper is plugged in the concrete bearing layer (CBL) by a steel dowel
(Lichtberger
22
). There are two versions of construction developed which differ in their transfer of
lateral forces (Darr & Fiebig
12
):
Version 1 (V1), clamp fastening with a clip glove at the sleeper midpoint of every second
sleeper as shown in figure 31 (Franz
29
).
Version 2 (V2), steel plugs through a hole at the sleeper midpoint of every second sleeper
as shown in figure 31 (Franz
29
).


Figure 31: BTD construction, version 1 (V1) and version 2 (V2) (Darr & Fiebig
12
, Franz
29
).

In V1 the clip glove is clamped in a pre-finished guided groove after the rail span adjustments.
This version 1 is no longer used according to (Darr & Fiebig
12
). After adjusting the rail span a
hole is drilled in the concrete bearing layer (CBL) through the hole in the middle of the sleeper,
and then a steel plug is bracing the sleeper with the concrete bearing layer (CBL) (Darr &
Fiebig
12
).

34

3.1.2.3 Walter

The Walter slab track system follows the same design and production principles of BTD (V2)
system. The main difference between these two systems is that Walter system uses an asphalt
supportive layer (ASL) instead of concrete supportive layer (CBL). The mono-block sleeper is
firmly connected to the lower asphalt layer (ASL) by a steel anchor rod crossing the sleeper as
shown in figure 32 (Darr & Fiebig
12
, Franz
29
).


Figure 32: Walter slab track system construction (Darr & Fiebig
12
)

3.1.2.4 Sato system

The Sato system is consisted of Y-steel sleepers anchored on an asphalt supporting layer by
welding the sleepers to a flat steel surface in the asphalt rail span using the so called Nelson
anchors so that the sleepers are fastened in both vertical and horizontal direction as it is
illustrated in figure 33 (Lichteberger
22
). This rather complicate and expensive solution was
further developed to other construction types known as FFYS and FFBS-ATS-SATO (Franz
29
).


35


Figure 33: Sato slab track system with Nelson anchors (Darr & Fiebig
12
).

3.1.2.5 FFYS system

This system was primarily designed to provide excellent position stability, reduction of costs due
to the fast and easy installation procedure and good recycling resources. The Y-sleepers of this
system is a good solution for new tracks, renewals and expansions as well as for normal, wide,
narrow and multi-track sections. It can also be used for special switch design in slab tracks or on
ballast tracks. This modern steel sleeper is created from two s-shaped, heat-molted wide flange
supports and two same straight girder sections. Two lower and six upper cross brackets welded
to the flanges are used to connect the steel profiles (Franz
29
). The dimensions and other design
details of the FFYS system are depicted in figure 34.


Figure 34: FFYS design of slab track (Lichtberger
20
)

The Y- steel sleepers in contrast to conventional shaped sleepers have the following differences
(Franz
29
):
36

Y bracket shape.
Double support for rails.
Three rail support areas per sleeper.
Basic body casting made of supportive girder profiles.

The above stated differences can be observed in figure 35.

Figure 35: Section and top view of Y-sleeper (Franz
29
).

The advantages of the Y-sleeper design are the following (Franz
29
):
Higher than the average life span.
Cheap comparing to its high structural stability.
30% less ballast required
Half demand of sleeper reduction in comparison to normal shaped sleepers.
Sleepers almost completely recyclable.
Double support of the rail allows for smoother vehicle running and less wear.
Less tamping effort due to the larger tamping intervals.



37

3.1.2.6 FFBS-ATS-SATO

The FFBS-ATS-SATO system is shown in figure 36 and it was built in Germany as a trial
version (390m) for tests. It is supported by an asphalt layer and has concrete sleepers with A8
support points being used. The transfer of lateral is compensated in a similar way as in the FFYS
system using web plate on the sleeper undersides. The sleepers are poured in special grooves cut
into the asphalt supporting layer (Franz
29
).


Figure 36: FFBS-ATS-SATO slab track system (Darr & Fiebig
12
)

3.1.2.7 Getrac system

This slab track system is the most recent, developed in 2003 in Germany (Rose, Texeira &
Ridgway
18
). It consists of an asphalt support layer and pre-stressed concrete sleepers laid and
anchored on it. The plug used to keep the sleepers tight on the asphalt is specially designed to
easily transfer the lateral and longitudinal forces into the asphalt layer. The heavy weight of the
rail span (sleeper B316 weigh 380kg) can compensate the vertical forces altering the rail due to
the lead wave (Franz
29
). The Getrac slab track system has two different versions, A1 and A3
(Franz
29
). The A1 design shown in figure 37 has a 2.6m long concrete sleeper and it is used in
projects without any space restrictions. The A3 design shown in figure 38 has a 2.4m long
sleeper which is slightly wider; hence it is suitable for projects with space restrictions such as
narrow tunnels (Rose, Texeira & Ridgway
18
). The sleepers of the A3 design have larger bearing
surface that reduces the contact pressure between the sleeper and the asphalt. This allow for a
38

5cm reduction of the asphalt supportive layer thickness, making it more suitable for upgrading
existing narrow tunnels by providing extra free space.


Figure 37: Getrac A1 slab track design (Darr & Fiebig
12
, Lichtberger
22
, and Franz
29
)


Figure 38: Getrac A3 slab track design (SSF
36
)

The construction sequence of the Getrac system is the following, see also figure 39:
A paving machine is laying the hydraulically bonded layer (HBL) (Franz
29
).
An automatically controlled, cable guided high performance paver installs the ASL in
two or three layers (Franz
29
).
The last asphalt layer or covering layer is made of 0/8 asphalt adjusted to the dimensions
of the anchor blocks with a high precision of 2mm (Franz
29
).
39

The cylindrical anchor block (figure 37 and 39) is surrounded by an elastic compound
(rubber) and it is half embedded to the fresh asphalt layer (Kalamatas
20
).
Installation of the rail span (UIC 60) and B316 steel-reinforced concrete sleepers with
vossloh system 300-1 rail fastening (Franz
29
).


Figure 39: Getrac construction, a. Paving with asphalt, b. Installation of concrete sleepers, c.
Concrete anchor block, d. Finished Getrac A3 at Brandleite tunnel (Rose, Texeira &
Ridgway
18
).

The advantages of this system are listed below (Rose, Texeira & Ridgway
18
):
Good geometrical structural ability to maintain proper geometric alignment.
Designed to cope with high speed and heavy goods trains.
Easy and quick installation.
Long life cycles with minimum maintenance.
Easy and fast track renewal after train accidents.
Cost-effective.
High design flexibility by reducing the cross sectional thickness or/and the overall width
of the track.


40

3.1.3 Prefabricated concrete slabs

This slab track category is consisted by reinforced or pre-stressed concrete slabs preserving
constant and safe the inclination and gauge of the two lines of rails simultaneously (UIC
report
15
). Prefabricated slabs can be found in many places around the world, e.g. J apan,
Germany, Italy, China and Taiwan.
The advantages of this system are the following (Esveld
5
):
High quality of the prefabricated slab components.
High level of mechanization, hence fast construction.
Labour-saving construction at site.
Direct adjustment and fixation of the rail.
Very low risk of failing workmanship.
Repair and renovation friendly.

Their disadvantages are their considerable higher structure (Esveld
5
), and most importantly their
high cost which according to Lichtberger
20
is in many cases four times more than in ballasted
track.

3.1.3.1 Shinkansen system

This slab track system was first developed and used in J apan in 1972 (Lichtberger
22
). It consists
of a sub-layer stabilized with cement, and assembly plates of 4.95m 2.34m 0.19m and 0.16 m
thick in tunnels with low pretension are used in longitudinal and lateral dimension (Esveld
5
,
Lichtberger
22
). These slabs weigh approximately 5 tons each and are adjusted on top of a
hydraulically bonded surface (HBL), under the slab is injected a minimum 4 cm thick
bituminous mortar, except few cases where a rubber mat in some antivibration versions is used
(UIC report
15
, Esveld
5
). The slabs are hold longitudinally and laterally by concrete cylinders
(dowel) which are rigidly connected with the structural concrete of the bearing plate
(Lichtberger
20
). Details on the shinkansen slab track system can be observed in figure 40.

41


Figure 40: Shinkansen slab track (Bastin
31
)

Special attention must be paid in the bituminous injection under the prefabricated slab due to its
weakness in fulfilling the expected technical performance. It has been proved in the past to be
weak in frost; hence there are two composition types to be used according to the meteorological
conditions of the site (Lichtberger
22
, UIC report
15
).
The Shinkansen slab track system has influenced other systems that have been used around the
world, using similar design and construction principles. Few of them are the slab track system
used to connect Seoul to the Port of Pusan in South Korea, the IPA design in Italy which is
heavily influenced from the Shinkansen track (Esveld
6
), as well as the 345 km long high speed
line in Taiwan which incorporates all the basic features of the Shinkansen track (Bastin
31
).
The development of this system incorporate slabs with hollows in the middle (frame-shaped
track) as shown in figure 40, to optimize the setting up of the bituminous mortar as well as to
save material and make the slab lighter (UIC report
15
). According to Bastin
31
the most recent
Shinkansen designs are slightly thicker, at 220mm, and have a 2860 800 mm void between
the rails. The slabs are made lighter resulting to a more effective grouting operation. In figure 42
is shown a real example of the J apanese Shinkansen slab track system.
42


Figure 41: Frame-shaped Shinkansen slab track system (UIC report
15
)


Figure 42: Japanese Shinkansen slab track system (Esveld
6
)

The construction method for Shinkansen track (Esveld
5
)
The installation method of the Shinkansen system used in Hokuriku Shinkansen is illustrated in
figure 43 and is called the moving plant on running rail method. This method has been
confirmed to be the most fastest and efficient for laying the track in long lengths in one direction.
The construction procedures:
The 200m long rails are welded in the depot.
The rails are transferred in the site and laid on trolleys.
The trolleys are driven by a running motor on the temporarily laid rails with a gauge of
1435mm.
The temporarily laid rails help to follow the slabs as they are being placed into position as
well as to inject CA mortar under the slab in a neighboring line. These temporary lines
are used on the completed line too. The rails are laid on the neighboring track.
The slabs are transported to the site and laid by widening the rail gauge to 3000mm.
43

Since the 3000mm gauge is used to transport slabs from the trolleys onto the rails laid at
the location of the trolleys using additional rails for a 75m long section.
The moving plant running on rails with a gauge 1435mm is creating CA mortar at the site
and transfers it onto the neighboring track.
When the CA mortar has gain strength under the slab, the rails are positioned and
fastened with normal fastening devices.

Using this method a 200 to 280 m of Shinkansen slab track can be constructed per day. A
schematic representation of this construction method is illustrated in figure 43 below.


Figure 43: Slab track laying in Hokuriku Shinkansen (Esveld
5
)

3.1.3.2 Bgl system

The Bgl slab track system was developed and first used in Germany in 1977 (Bastin
31
). This
prefabricated system is made of steel fiber concrete (B55 or C45/55) plates 20cm thick, 6.45 m
long and 2.55 or 2.80 m wide, having a total construction depth of 475 mm as shown in figure 45
(Esveld
5
, Bastin
31
, Lichtberger
22
). The plates are laterally prestressed and longitudinally
normally reinforced by the so called GEWI bars (see figure 44) (Bastin
31
). These prefabricated
44

slabs are designed with special breaking points arranged between the supporting points in order
to prevent random crack formation in the slab (Lichtberger
22
). This design is turned to be a
system of many wide sleepers joined together due to these specifically designed cracking points.
Special screw-jacks (spindles) (see figure 45) integrated in the slabs reassure an easy and fast
adjustment of the plates (Esveld
5
).


Figure 44: Max-Bgl track system (Bastin
31
)


Figure 45: Geometrical characteristics of the Bgl concrete slab (Kalamatas
20
)
45

The standard procedure of construction, according to Bastin
31
is as follows:
1. The frost protection layer (FPL) is laid.
2. A paver machine is constructing the hydraulically bonded layer (HBL). Tolerance 5mm,
target 2mm.
3. Positioning of the slabs (see figure 46) with 50 mm nominal joint between them.
Accuracy 10 mm.
4. Adjustment of slabs (fine lined and leveled) with the assistance of the screw-jack
mechanisms.
5. Outer edges sealed with mortar.
6. Injection of the bitumen/cement grout through special holes along the slab longitudinal
centre line (see figure 44).
7. Narrow joints filled with mortar (see figure 45 the opening for the grout).
8. The longitudinal reinforcement (GEWI bars) joined and stressed together with
turnbuckles.
9. The slab track structure is completed after the wide joints are filled with mortar.
10. The 120m long-welded rail is unloaded and placed onto baseplates.
11. The rails are distressed after the rails are welded together to create a continuously welded
rail.


Figure 46: Positioning of the Bgl slabs


46


Figure 47: Nrnberg Ingolstadt: one Bgl track completed (Bastin
31
)
The main advantages and disadvantages of this system, according to Bastin
31
are the following:
Advantages
Manufacturing in factory reassures excellent quality.
Easy and fast to install.
Once installed can be opened to traffic.
Easy to replace damaged parts or whole units if needed.

Disadvantages
Mainly the costs of the system, which rely a lot in the distance of the site and the factory.
A unit weighs approximately 10 tones; hence a highway lorry can carry only three slabs
per delivery. If the distance is great then the cost of this system may be extravagant,
hence an alternative more cost effective slab track system may be more suitable.

3.1.3.3 BB-Porr system

The BB-Porr system was developed in Austria and it was first constructed as a test track
(450m) in 1989 (UIC report
15
). This system as shown in figure 48 consists of slabs on elastic
support of 5.16 m 2.4 m 0.16 to 0.24 m with a two resilient level fastening system type
IOARV 300 (UIC report
15
, Lichtberger
22
). The assembly reinforced concrete plates are adjusted
on a hydraulically bonded bearing layer (HBL) or a concrete tunnel sole by the use of spindles
and then sealed by concrete (Lichtberger
22
). The plates present two central rectangular openings
of 0.91 m 0.64 m to assist the setting up of the wedging mortar as well as to take all the
horizontal efforts (Lichtberger
22
). All the slab surfaces which are in contact with the sealing
concrete are coated with a resilient polyurethane-cement layer (rubber granular mix) with a 2.5-
3mm thickness as shown in figure 48 (Lichtberger
22
, UIC report
15
). After this cemented rubber
47

granular mix is applied, a conical shaped concrete plug is made at the rectangular openings of the
slab to prevent uplifting of the slab (UIC report
15
). This separation layer ensures that the plates
are decoupled from vibrations as well as that it separates the slabs from the sealing concrete
making the replacement of the slabs easier when they are damaged (Lichtberger
22
). The standard
BB-Porr design system can be considered as a mass-and-spring system with a mass of 1 tone
per linear meter with many advantages against vibrations (UIC report
15
).


Figure 48: BB-Porr slab track system (Darr & Fiebig
12
)

3.1.3.4 IPA slab track system

This system was developed in Italy and used for first time in 1984 (Round
8
, UIC report
15
). It is
very similar to the Shinkansen system since it was the outcome of a co-operation and technology
transfer from the J apanese National Railways (Round
8
). It consists of prefabricated prestressed
concrete slabs set in cement/asphalt mortar on a concrete bearing layer. The main difference
between IPA and Shinkansen design is that the locating post for providing longitudinal and
lateral fixing of the slabs, form part of the slabs with the recess being made in the concrete base
(Round
8
). In figure 49 the reader can find all the information about its dimensions and structural
features.
48


Figure 49: Diagram of Italian IPA slab track system (Round
8
)

3.1.4 Monolithic Designs

These designs are consisted of only a continuous monolithic concrete layer and direct rail
fastenings adjusted on it. The sleeperless designs are established either as monolithic concrete
layer produced by a concrete paver or as prefabricated slabs connected together (Esveld
5
,
Lichtberger
22
). The direct rail fastenings used for this system are very effective in bridges
making them lighter and eliminate problems associating the sleepers (Esveld
5
). The monolithic
designs are stiff and rigid enough to behave structurally as a continuous supported elastic beam
under traffic loading. The rigidity of this system makes it suitable for use in soft soils. The loads
are distributed across a much longer and wider area (Esveld
5
). Attention must be paid to the
crack formation of the concrete bearing layer (CBL) and proper measures have to be taken to
prevent cracking caused by the rail fastenings.

49


Figure 50: An example of a monolithic slab track design with direct rail fastenings (Heilit-
Wrner) (Esveld
5
)

3.1.4.1 Lawn Track or RASENGLEIS system

The Lawn track system consists of a water permeable concrete slab 30 cm thick and two
longitudinal reinforced concrete beams of trapezoidal shape (cross section) which are connected
onto the concrete bearing layer which supports and reassure the stability of the track
(Lichtberger
22
, Franz
29
). Anchoring ties connect the longitudinal concrete beams and the
concrete supporting layer (CBL) as shown in figure 51. The rail fastenings are fastened onto the
longitudinal concrete beams by rail clamps cast in pre-drilled holes. The space between the
concrete beams and their outer areas is filled with a substrate covered by oligotrophic grass (low
vegetation) (Lichtberger
22
).


Figure 51: Lawn track or RASENGLEIS construction (Darr & Fiebig
12
)
50


3.1.4.2 FFC slab track system

The FFC (Feste Fahrbahn Crailsheim) slab track system is manufactured with high precision in
preparation and installation. The supporting points (dowels) for the rail fastening system either
are shaken into the fresh concrete during installation, or they may be inserted and glued in pre-
drilled holes into the dried concrete slab (Franz
26
). After the dowels are inserted the rail fastening
system IOARV300 is positioned at the manufacturing stage as a profile in the form of an
infinitive length concrete sleeper in the concrete bearing layer (CBL) (Lichtberger
22
, Franz
29
,
UIC report
15
). The concrete slab is made by a slipform paver and the fastening system is adjusted
by a special machine following behind. The concrete base is normally 2.4 m wide as shown in
figure 52, but it can reach a maximum of 3.2 m length according to Franz
29
. Every third support
point a notch is made in order to control crack formation and to let the water to let the rain water
to run off.

Figure 52: FCC slab track design (Darr & Fiebig
12
)

3.1.4.3 Hochtief/SHRECK-MIEVES/LONGO

The Hochtief system consists of a concrete bearing layer over the hydraulically bonded layer
(HBL) and it uses concrete-embedded rail support points for rail fastening type 300 (UIC
report
15
, Franz
29
). Four linking anchors are jiggled into the fresh concrete of the CBL for each
individual support. Then each rail support is adjusted using a setting frame for accurate leveling
and height adjustment (Mrscher
25
). The use of steel fiber concrete in segments revealed fissure
structures with almost invisible cracking (Franz
29
). The surface of the concrete bearing layer
51

(CBL) has been designed with inclination to directly drain off the rain water (Mrscher
25
). The
exact dimensions and design characteristics of this system are illustrated in figure 53.


Figure 53: Hochtief/SHRECK-MIEVES/LONGO slab track system (Darr & Fiebig
12
)

3.1.4.4 BES system

The BES slab track system is consisted by a reinforced concrete bearing layer (CBL) with
individual support points over the cement stabilized layer (HBL) (UIC report
15
, Franz
29
). This
system was developed in Germany and uses the same process as the FFC in producing the form
of the rail fastening at the installation of the CBL. The plugs for the rail screws are glued into
pre-drilled holes in the dried concrete supportive layer (Franz
29
).


Figure 54: BES slab track system (Darr & Fiebig
12
)
52

3.1.4.5 BTE slab track system

The BTE system is a concrete supportive layer (CBL) with individual support points over a
hydraulically bonded layer (HBL), very similar to BES system. A two-level plate machine
system is used to achieve the desirable geometry of the concrete slab layer (CBL) (UIC report
15
).
Two different rail fastenings have been used for this system, Ioarg 336 and ERL (BWG). The
concrete areas, where the rail fasteners are located, are manufactured with extra strength. Details
of the BTE design system are shown in figure 55.


Figure 55: BTE slab track system (Darr & Fiebig
12
)

3.1.4.6 PACT system

The PACT slab track system was developed in Britain and first constructed in 1969 at Radcliffe
for testing purposes (Round
8
). It is consisted of a continuous paved unreinforced concrete layer
on which a paved, profiled continuous reinforced track slab is based (Bastin
31
). The connection
between these two layers is achieved by shear links in the reinforcement of the upper slab
(Round
8
). This system has a 22.9 cm thick concrete slab that is 2.43 m wide (Canadian Pacific
Railway) (Bilow,Gene & Randich
9
). After the curing of concrete is complete, holes are drilled
(diamond-core) and the continuous welded rail is laid on a continuous rail pad and fixed to
inserts embedded in the slab (Bilow,Gene & Randich
9
, Bastin
31
). Although it was designed for
high speed lines, this has not happened. It has mainly used in tunnels (wet tunnels) because of its
low construction height and low maintenance needs comparing to ballasted track. The maximum
speed in a PACT system nowadays does not exceed the 150 km/h (Round
8
). Although this
system was at the forefront of slab track development, the lack of any significant new
53

construction in Britain did not allow for many further developments. The PACT system is out-
dated for the current standards and high speed train demands (Bastin
31
). The advantages of this
system are the low construction costs and the high quality geometry. The disadvantages are, that
requires special laying equipment, the out-dated construction method (bottom-up) combined with
the continuous support of the rail make it harder to achieve the levels of accuracy required for
high speed, as well as that the drainage is often hindered resulting to debris collection which lead
to corrosion of the railway fastenings (Round
8
, Bastin
31
). The exact dimensions and structural
features of the PACT system are schematically illustrated in figure 56.


Figure 56: PACT slab track system (* Depth D at real seat varies: typically 150-250 mm.
Similarly depth of the base slab varies depending on site conditions: 300mm minimum)
(Bastin
31
).

3.2 Continuous Rail Support

When the continuous rail is continuously elastically supported by the concrete bearing layer
either embedded or clamped then it belongs to the continuous rail support systems as shown in
table 1.



54

3.2.1 Embedded Rail Structures

According to Esveld
5
the embedded rail structure (ERS) is a continuous elastically supported rail
by means of a compound such as cork and polyurethane. The rail fixation is established by an
elastic compound surrounding the whole rail profile except the rail head. This system includes
the full range from high-speed tracks to light rail. What characterizes this concept is the absence
of additional components to secure track gauge.
The characteristic principles of the rail fixation in this concept are the following (Esveld
5
):
An elastic strip provides continuous support under the rail.
The rail is guided in a groove by elastic fixation.
Top-down alignment of the rail.
The rail profile is fixed by an elastic compound.
Optimization of the elastic compounds, the groove dimensions and strips for specific
elasticity.

The advantages of this concept are the following (Esveld
5
):
Absence of dynamic forces due to secondary bending between single rail points.
Less noise emissions.
Increases rail life span.
Overall reduction of maintenance.
The embedded rail construction height can be reduced e.g. in case of road crossing where
a smooth obstacle free surface is needed.


3.2.1.1 INFUNDO-EDILON system

The INFUNDO and EDILON designs are the same type sharing the same construction
characteristics and principles. The INFUNDO is the further development of the Dutch Edilon
design (Franz
29
, Lichtberger
22
). This system was first developed in Netherlands in 1970s (1976,
near Deurne, testing track with speeds up to 160 km), and its development continues until our
days (Esveld
5
). A continuous rail is continuously supported by elastic compounds in a groove. A
concrete supportive layer is laid by a slipform paver. This layer is 40 cm thick and 2.4 m wide.
The construction under the concrete bearing layer is kept the same (HBL and FPL under the
CBL) as in most slab track systems as shown in figure 57 (Franz
29
). The horizontal and vertical
55

forces are compensated by the cork underpad and the elastic two-component mass surrounding
the rail. The INFUNDO design is intended mainly for urban passenger rails (subways, tramways)
(Esveld
5
).


Figure 57: Embedded rail construction INFUNDO (Esveld
4
)

The concrete groove must be accurately constructed because it determines the rail height,
direction, track gauge and tilting (Franz
29
). After the concrete trough is dried a U-shaped steel
profile is inserted (figure 58) to case in the:
The underpad.
The rail.
Elastic components which keep the rail in place.


Figure 58: Details of embedded rail structure (Esveld
4
)
56

The advantages of this system are the followings (Franz
29
):
Reduced wear of rail allow for use of weaker rail profile.
Low noise emissions.
Minimization of components used.
Fast construction.
Good solution for combined surfaces (crossings, etc).

A new development in this system led to a lower-noise design by replacing the UIC 54 rail with
the SA 42 rail as shown in figure 59. This rail can carry 225 kN axle loads and produce 5dB less
noise. One more advantage of this development is the reduction of the polyurethane used due to
the smaller groove size (Esveld
7
).


Figure 59: Low noise track design (Esveld
7
)

3.2.1.2 BBERS design

This system was developed by Balfour Beatty in 2000 and successfully first installed at Medina
el Campo (Spain) in 2002. This system shares exactly the same construction principles as
INFUNDO. The difference is the smaller rectangular rail (BB14072) which has resulted to a
much smaller groove and the different rail elastic support elements. The BBERS uses, a U-
shaped continuous pulltruted glass reinforced plastic shell, a U-shaped pad (micro cellular
polyurethane) to fit both the shell and the rectangular rail (139.7 69.85 mm, advance track
design) with a standard rail head profile (removable rail, 74 kg/m) as show in figure 60 (Balfour
beatty
2
).

57


Figure 60: BBERS MkII system details (Penny
3
).

The installation steps of the rail are the following (Penny
3
):
A pulltruted glass reinforced plastic box is permanently installed in the concrete trough (a
special lid is helping for accurate positioning of the plastic box). Tolerance 1mm.
The base of the shell is permanently grouted.
The box lid is removed and the pad and rail are inserted.

The construction of this system can be carried out by three different methods, slip forming
method, pre-cast concrete, cast in-situ. The steps of each method are as follows (Balfour beatty
2
):
Slip forming
1. Take up existing track
2. Excavate and/or prepare formation depending on ground conditions
3. Place lean mix base for slab if required by design
4. Place reinforcement
5. Slip form
6. Align and fix sub system (shell and pad)
7. Grout shell into final position
8. Distribute rails
9. Weld and install rails

58

Pre-cast concrete slabs
1. Take up existing track
2. Excavate and/or prepare formation depending on ground conditions
3. Lay slabs
4. J ack, align and grout slabs into final position
5. J oin slabs
6. Distribute rails
7. Weld and install rails

Cast in-situ
1. Take up existing track
2. Excavate and/or prepare formation depending on ground conditions
3. Place lean mix base for slab if required by design
4. Place reinforcement
5. Erect shuttering
6. Pour concrete
7. Strike formwork
8. Align and fix sub system (shell and pad)
9. Grout shell into final position
10. Distribute rails
11. Weld and install rails

3.2.1.3 Deck-Track design

As stated by Esveld
5
the Deck-Track is a system of high flexural stiffness which can be applied
in soft soils. It was developed in Netherlands and a 200 m test track has been constructed in
Rotterdam. It consists of a continuous in-situ or prefabricated concrete bearer (concrete frame
structure) laid into the ground as shown in figure 61. The rails can either embedded (possible use
of the rail profile SA 42 for low noise emissions is possible) or directly fixed on the concrete
surface. Deck-Track is a concrete hollow tube nearly the same weight of the removed soil. Its
high bending and torsional stiffness result to reduced vibrations. This help to avoid differential
settlements providing a stable basis for track even on soft soils. Deck-Track acts like a bridge
surpassing problems associated with weak spots in the soil.

59


Figure 61: Artist impression of the Deck-Track design (Esveld
5
)

3.2.2 Clamped and continuously supported rail

These systems provide continuous support of the rail by clamping the web of the rail.

3.2.2.1 Cocon Track system

This system is specially designed for tramways and consists of a combined transverse and
longitudinal concrete sleeper, as shown in figure 62, using conventional fasteners supporting the
rail. The fasteners are placed on the crossings of the H-shaped sleeper having a 1200 mm
distance among them. This system is designed for curves R>20 m. The rail sit on a two layer
strip, the first layer is soft and when the rail is fastened, it will be compressed and lose 40% of its
thickness (adaptation rail), the second rail is stiff to bear with the loads. Together with the CDM-
strip a cork/rubber elastomer is applied between the fastener springs and rails to prevent direct
contact (see figure 62). The rail is encased in a high quality recycled rubber chamber helping to
avoid contact between rail and asphalt or concrete (Esveld
5
).

60


Figure 62: Cocon Track design, a. Detail of the grooved rail, the CDM-bistrip, and the rail web
chambers, impression of the Cocon track system (Esveld
5
)

3.2.2.2 Grooved rail system

This slab track system is a continuously supported grooved rail (ERL) developed by Phoenix
mainly for tramways. It is consisted of an elastically supported rail with or without rail fasteners.
The elastic support underneath the rail (see figure 63) is a rubber strip with air chambers. The rail
is encased in special rubber chambers as shown in figure 64 to reduce the noise emissions and to
work as a transition between the rail and the road asphalt. A high grade concrete bearing layer
(CBL) provides support to both rails on it which are connected to each other with steel bars (see
figure 64) to secure the track gauge.


Figure 63: Grooved rail (ERL) by phoenix (Esveld
5
)

61


Figure 64: a. fitting of the rubber chamber elements, b. the assembled track framework is
ready to be paved-in (Esveld
5
)

3.2.2.3 Vanguard & KES designs

The vanguard and KES systems are new designs made from Pandrol and Phoenix respectively.
These systems are using the traditional concrete supportive slab to apply rail fastenings on it
providing continuous support by elastic wedges or strips attached at the web surface of the rail.
The Vanguard system leaves the rail base hanging unsupported as shown in figure 65. The elastic
compound is held in place by side brackets which are fastened on the concrete bearing layer
(CBL). The big difference with conventional fastening systems is that these fastenings allow
much greater vertical deflections without an unacceptable accompanying degree of rail roll.
Furthermore, this feature improves attenuation of the dynamic forces generated at the wheel/rail
interface resulting to less dynamic force transmissions to the surroundings. The Vanguard system
is designed for tunnels in urban areas where the vibrations pose an issue.


Figure 65: Impression of the Vanguard design (Esveld
5
)

62

The KES system was developed in 1990s for light rail and it has been used in Germany. This
system in contrast to Vanguard provides continuous elastic support in the whole surface of the
rail. It shares similar construction principles with the ERL system (pg.60), but steel or concrete
profiles are bolted in order to continuously press the elastomeric strips in place (see figure 66).
The KES design requires more material and more accurate installation comparing to Vanguard
(Esveld
5
).


Figure 66: KES system under testing (Esveld
5
)

3.2.2.4 SFF system

The SFF (vibration damped slab track) system consists of profiled trough embedded longitudinal
sleepers in the concrete bearing layer (CBL). Continuous support is provided by a rubber pack
which surrounds the rail (see figure 67). The sleepers are braced in the groove with profiled
concrete assembly elements using screwed connections. The rail is supported by the elastic
compounds below the rail head and hangs freely above the trough bottom allowing for
significant vertical deflections (absorbing vibrations). The rubber used to keep the rail in place
lies tightly against the rail and concrete surface acting as a seal. Any water penetrating in is
collected and guided out below the rail foot through lateral holes. This system is limited to
tunnels and in urban rail systems (Lichtberger
22
, Franz
29
).

63


Figure 67: SFF slab track design (Darr & Fiebig
12
, Lichtberger
22
)

3.2.2.5 SAARGUMMI design

The SAARGUMMI design uses profile-free longitudinal sleepers in a trough. It is up to the user
whether the longitudinal sleepers are laid on or inserted in the concrete bearing layer (CBL). The
rails are continuously supported by elastomeric elements covering the rail flange and aligned
using profiled clamping bodies with adjustable threaded bolts as shown in figure 68. The height
and lateral position and track gauge as well as gradient of the rail are adjusted in the longitudinal
sleepers.


Figure 68: SAARGUMI slab track system (Darr & Fiebig
12
, Lichtberger
20
)
64

4 Comparison of Slab Track Systems

This chapter highlights important differences between the slab track systems in terms of
structural stability, flexural stiffness, structure height, noise production, speeds, maintenance
need, construction costs, construction speed, and lengths of constructed tracks. It is essential to
know these differences in order to realise which slab track design meets the required needs.
There is no slab track system suitable for all cases; hence a good knowledge of each system
characteristics is the only way to make the best possible decision.

4.1 Structural Characteristics

The superstructure of each slab track system has different flexural stiffness, these is illustrated in
table 2. The various slab track systems used today are divided in six different categories as
shown in table 2. One can refer table 1 to associate a specific slab track system with one of the
six categories. Slab track constructions with low flexural stiffness can scarcely resist bending
forces, the system rely completely on the bearing capacity and stiffness of the soil. In weak
unreliable soils a slab track system with high flexural stiffness is essential to provide extra
strength and adequate resistance acting as a bridge across weak spots and local deformations in
the subsoil (Esveld
5
).
Table 2: Approximate superstructure flexural stiffness for different track systems (Esveld
5
).


As shown in table 3 each slab track system has different superstructure height which is decisive
for its use. Systems with low overall height are very often used in tunnels where the free space is
limited. A low height slab track system often results to lower tunnel construction costs. The
Hydraulically Bonded Layer (HBL) preserves the same height in most of the slab track systems.
The dimensions are in mm, h is the height between the bottom of rail and the top of the
65

concrete/asphalt bearing layer, and H (mm) is the height of the superstructure from the upper
edge of the rail to the bottom of the hydraulically bonded layer (HBL).
Table 3: Comparison of overall heights of various slab track designs, all dimensions are in mm
Name CBL ABL HBL h H
Rheda
Classic 360 - 300 99 931
Rheda-
Berlin 447 - 300 32 951
Rheda 2000 240 - 300 61-81 773-793
Zblin 240 - 300 63 775
Heitkamp 557 - 300 32 1061
LVT 216 - 300 117 805
ATD - 300 300 249 1021
BTD 200 - 300 270 942
walter - 300 300 249 1021
sato - 300 300 148 920
FFYS - 300 300 137 909
Getrac - 300 300 236 1008
Shinkansen 190 - 300 53 715
Bgl 200 - 300 80 752
BB-Porr 240 - 300 80 792
FCC 273 - 300 32 777
hochtief 200 - 300 150 822
BES 257 - 300 32 761
BTE 200 - 320 69 761
infundo 400 - 250 - 650


A study conducted in Deutsche Bahns network examined the alignment of different slab track
designs as well as ballasted tracks. The Q value depicted in figure 69 represents the quality of
the track alignment incorporating the following parameters (Darr
11
):
Longitudinal elevation
Transverse elevation
Direction
Buckling
66

Figure 69 is depicting different slab track systems and their performance after five years of
measuring. The higher acceptable Q-value is 100. If this value is exceeded then the track must be
re-aligned to comply with high speed railway standards. All slab track systems performed
adequately without any need for maintenance. As it can be observed from the diagram, the
Rheda system performed much better comparing to other systems. This diagram can influence
the decision of slab track system to be constructed since the lower the Q-value, the lower and
less frequent the maintenance need (Darr
11
).


Figure 69: Comparison of track-alignment quality of the various designs of slab tracks (Darr
11
)

4.2 Technical and Economical Parameters

Other parameters that can influence the decision of the most appropriate ballastless design to be
used are: the experience with the system, the speeds it can support, the overall height, the noise
emissions, the need of maintenance, the construction costs, the speed of construction and the
ease of renewal. All these parameters are summarized in table 4. The numbers used in the
assessment columns are the following: 1=advisable, 2=satisfactory, 3=needs improvement.
The cost column refer to manufacturing costs given from the upper edge of the HBL, tunnel
sole or the substructure of the bridge. The overall height column refers to the height from the
upper edge of the HBL to the upper edge of the rail and the daily performance column refers to
an 8-hour shift length of track to be constructed.
67

Table 4: Technical and economic comparison of various slab track designs (Lichtberger
22
)
type of
design
year of
construction
v
(km/h)
overall
(height)
(cm)
Assessment
noise Q
assessment
Q
cost
/m
daily
performance
(m)
assessment
renewal
Rheda 1972 300 63 2 15 1 1198 172 3
Rheda Berlin 1997 300 67 3 6 1 630 170 3
Zblin with
sleepers 1988 300 60 2 30 3 550 200 2
zblin BTE 1996 300 44 1 25 2 475 200 1
FTR 1988 - - - - - 1750 - 3
ATD 1993 300 ~70 2 25 2 600 200 2
BTD 1994 300 63 2 14 1 - 350 2
Getrac 1995 300 72 2 20 2 625 270 2
SATO, FFYS 1984 200 61 2 35 3 600 350 1
lawn track 1998 160 80 2 28 3 - - -
Heitkamp 1998 160 78 3 5 1 - 200 3
FFC 1998 300 48 1 30 3 470 200 1
Infundo 1995 160 - 1 - - 470 200 1
Saargummi - 160 - 2 - - - - -

More information about economics and structural performance of slab track can be found in
chapter 5.

4.3 Slab track use worldwide

The slab track systems have been extensively used around the world especially the last four
decades. The pattern of slab track use seems to rise by the time due to the higher demands for
high speed railways and heavy freight trains. Table 5 is illustrating the current lengths (km) of
constructed slab track designs worldwide according to the available bibliography. The most
popular ballastless systems worldwide are the Bgl, Shinkansen, Rheda, Sonneville-LVT,
Zblin, Stedef and Infundo-Edilon. Another important factor influencing the decision for the
most suitable slab track design to be used is the experiences gained throughout the years of use
and construction. The knowledge on slab track systems is limited and many statements about
their performance are based in well examined hypothesis and not in actual proofs due to their
relatively young status. So the older and lengthier (in terms of km construction) a system is the
better information about its actual performance is available. This can be seen only as a positive
feature.

68

Table 5: Total length of various slab track systems constructed worldwide
Slab Track Design
Country of
design
Total construction
(km)
Bgl Germany 4391
Shinkansen J apan 3044
Rheda Germany 2205
Sonnevile-LVT Swiss 1031
Zblin Germany 606
Stedef France 334
Infundo-Edilon Netherlands 211
BB-Porr Austria 122,2
IPA Italy 100
PACT UK 95,4
SATO Germany 35,8
FFYS Germany 33,1
BTD Germany 32
ATD Germany 31,7
Getrac Germany 15,3
Walter Germany 9,4
FFC Germany 1
Heitkamp Germany 0,39
BTE Germany 0,39
BES Germany 0,39
Lawn
Track/Rasengleis Germany 0,39
Hochtief Austria 0,39
Deck Track Netherlands 0,2


Figure 70 is showing the operating high speed lines as they appear today and the high speed lines
as they are going to be in 2025 worldwide. A significant amount of these lines tends to be slab
track ensuring high stability and minimum maintenance of the railway track.

69


Figure 70: High speed around the world in 2009 and forecast in 2025 (UIC International union
of railways
17
)


70

5 Slab track versus ballasted track

The slab track can ensure very good geometrical stability of the track comparing to the ballasted
track, on the other side it produces higher noise emissions. The extra protective measures need to
be taken, increase the costs of the slab track construction significantly. In tunnels though, the
slab track has been proved in many cases to be a more economical efficient solution due to its
structure (lower height and no need for special preparation of the subsoil). Slab track is more
beneficial in more favourable locations of the lines which can be adapted to the terrain and to
existing structures by applying higher superelevation and superelevation deficiency values. One
more advantage of the slab track is the easier and more economic vegetation control comparing
to conventional track. In general the ballasted track is considered as a better solution in earth
structures due to the lower costs of the construction (Lichteberger
22
). On the other side, slab
track maybe is more expensive to construct but the lower demand for track maintenance during
the years and its high serviceability life time, suggest that in a long term perspective is
economically more efficient.

Table 6: Components for ballast and slab tracks construction on earthworks (Nigel & Franz
26
)











71


Table 6 is illustrating the differences of ballast and slab track construction superstructure and
substructure. As it can be seen from the table the two systems share common and different
features. The selection of the most appropriate track system to be used must be done considering
the circumstances in which the installed track will be used in order to take approval from the
Railway authorities (Nigel & Franz
26
).

5.1 Advantages of Slab Track

Generally speaking the advantages of the slab track design are the significantly reduced
maintenance need in combination with its higher serviceability life, as well as its higher
structural track stability. According to bibliography (Esveld
5
, Lichtberger
22
, Darr & Fiebig
12
,
SSF
36
, Bastin
31
, Nigel & Franz
26
, UIC report
15
, Franz
29
) the reasons that may lead to the
construction of a slab track system instead a ballasted one are the following:
Lower maintenance need during its life cycle. No need for tamping, ballast cleaning and
track lining results to a reduced cost approximately 20-30% for repairs comparing to that
in ballasted track.
Lower traffic hindrance costs.
Higher life cycle, around 50-60 years compared to ballasted track (30-40 years) and
possibility of almost full replacement at the end of the service life.
More cost effective line positioning (as narrower curves at high superelevation and
superelevation deficiency can be applied)
No ballast or solid particles are whirled up on slab track.
Higher safety against lateral forces and accommodation of higher axle loads.
The eddy current brake can be applied without problems any time. (This is an advantage
against ballasted track only in certain places such as signals or at station entrances. It
cannot be seen as an advantage on plain line track.)
Emergency vehicles and fire brigade vehicles can drive on the slab track in tunnels easily.
Cost of vegetation control is either excluded or very reduced.
Near maximum availability of the line and barely causes disturbances to the residents for
maintenance during night shifts.
Optimum design for high speed trains since it does not experience any problems such as
drag forces at ballast.
The slab track can compensate any excess in superelevation and in cant deficiency with
freight trains or passenger trains without fears for dislocation of the track.
72

Possible corrections up to 26 mm in vertical and up to 5 mm in horizontal position can be
applied to counterbalance minor displacements.
Reduced height and weight of the structure.
The lack of suitable aggregates for a ballasted track in a certain area can also lead to a
slab track design.
Slab track maybe also more suitable in cases where the noise emissions and the vibration
nuisance do not cause problems and are acceptable.
In places where the release of dust from the ballast bed must be prevented for
environmental reasons the slab track is a good solution.
Excellent riding comfort at high speed (VOSSLOH
43
).
Better load distribution, hence reduced dynamic load of subsoil (VOSSLOH
43
).
Excellent load distribution, thereby reducing the pressure on unconfined soil layers and
the subgrade (Miodrag
24
).
Lower wear of vehicle running gear through good retention of track geometry (Nigel &
Franz
26
).
The higher braking forces enable for shorter braking distances (Franz
29
).
Slab tracks allow for steeper route gradients (Franz
29
).
The rail can be laid in lower temperatures since buckling is less of a concern comparing
to ballasted track (Kucera, Bilow & Ball
44
).
Lower construction costs in case track and rolling stock are adjusted to one another
(Franz
29
).

5.2 Disadvantages of Slab Track

Slab track systems have various disadvantages too. In general the higher investment costs
combined with the longer manufacture and installation time needed for its construction as well as
the limited options in adjustments after construction and the higher air-borne vibration
emissions, are few of the main reasons slab track is not the dominant track type used (Nigel &
Franz
26
). The disadvantages of slab track are stated below according to the available
bibliography (Esveld
5
, Franz
29
, Lichtberger
22
, UIC report
15
, fib
42
):
The danger to have wrongly selected this design because of its lower maintenance cost
due to the influence of the operational organization which is fully responsible for the
railways maintenance after the construction. In many railways a part or the whole
construction costs of a track are usually covered by governmental financial subsidies for
sums invested in infrastructure. The total cost must be assessed and carefully examined in
a fair way in order to select the most suitable track design.
73

The deterioration of the track geometry in case the operational strength of the concrete
slab track has been reached, can occur very suddenly and unforeseeably. Thus the
operational strength of the slab track might be compared to the occurrence of rail
fracture.
Small adaptability to large displacements in the embankment. Large displacements in
track can be compensated only by significant amounts of work.
Slab track has an estimated life cycle of 50-60 years. Of course this is valid only if the
presupposition that the expected acceptable settlements will occur. In case of a
derailment or any other unforeseeable events which could cause greater damage than the
expected one (damage in sensitive fastening elements) can result to long term and
expensive track closures. Unfortunately due to the short age of slab track there is not
enough information on the actual performance during its life time in order to assess and
examine this issue with high validity.
Slab track by its rigid structure it is ensured that its life time will be at least 50-60 years.
The nature of the slab track does not allow for easy adjustments and repairs after its
construction. That means that its quality during the construction must be checked and
reassured carefully because any defect on its quality would either remain for the entire
life cycle either high costly measures should be taken in order to eliminate it.
Not many possibilities to apply any innovation or future updates after construction.
Slab track cannot be built in soft clays, earthquake areas or embankments on soft peat
layers.
Ballastless track requires homogeneous sublayers which are capable to carry the imposed
loads with minor or no settlements. This means that in many cases and especially in earth
structures special attention should be given in the foundation preparations. The high costs
which are associated with the above mentioned fact is the main reason for the limited use
of the slab track.
Higher noise emissions (5dB). To handle the increased noise, extra treatment is needed
which result to higher construction costs.
Very expensive repair concepts and long term closures due to the curing and hardening
procedures of the concrete.
The frost protective layer in earth structures must be applied in any case and it is much
thicker comparing to the ballasted one. This is a prerequisite in order to reassure a
lengthy life cycle.
The cost of the reconstruction (after it has reached the end of its life cycle) of the slab
track is not considered. One or two standardized types of slab track seem to be optimal
solutions.
Transitions between ballasted track and ballastless track require special attention.
In many cases new mechanisms needed for production and repair.

74

5.3 Ballasted Track advantages & disadvantages

The ballasted track has relatively low construction costs comparing to ballastless track, it has
high elasticity and high maintainability at relatively low cost. Another important advantage of
the ballasted track is the high noise absorption (Esveld
4
). The 150 years experience with
ballasted tracks makes the engineers more confident to deal with ballasted track problems and
avoid the higher risk of dealing with problems concerning a relatively new design (Bezin
45
).
Many recent advances in ballasted track construction make them even more competitive against
slab track. Few examples of these advances are the following (Bezin
45
):
Introduction of reinforced concrete or steel sleepers.
Optimization of the rail geometry improves the wheel-rail contact condition offering a
better load bearing capacity.
Optimized rail pads and fastening providing better attenuation of the wheel-rail contact
forces and of noise.
Stone blowing and tamping machines provide more accurate corrections and faster
maintenance.
Better track resilience and resistance to settlements through the use of under sleeper mats
as well as geogrids and geosynthetics between the different layers.
The use of geotechnical retro-fitting techniques (e.g. lime cement columns), improving
the bearing capacity of the subgrade, minimizing the possibility of settlements.
The final decision for the construction is taken considering both advantages and disadvantages of
each system. The disadvantages which may lead the decision-makers to a slab track construction
are the following (Esveld
5
):
The ballasted track does not provide good lateral or longitudinal resistance with result to
have floating track effects.
Limited lateral resistance of the ballasted track, resulting to lower speeds in curves.
The deterioration of the ballast creates particles which are damaging the rail and the
wheels.
The wear of the ballast plus the intrusion of the fine particles from the subgrade,
contaminate the structure making it impermeable.
Ballasted track is heavier and higher structure demanding stronger structures and larger
foundations in case of viaducts and bridges.
The track elements and the way they are put together during construction will highly
influence the rate of the track deterioration.
In bridges and tunnels where continuous ballast bed is the case, extra elasticity must be
supplied by application of ballast mats, rail fastenings with increased elasticity.
Nonetheless the usual maintenance must be provided at regular basis.
75

5.4 Slab Track costs

Certain feasibility studies have proved that the slab track is profitable only if the construction
process will not cost 30% more than the construction cost for the ballasted track. The RHEDA
design is the most used slab track design nowadays in Germany and it costs approximately 1.5
times more than the ballasted track design. Despite that it is widely used due to the long-term
experience with this type (Lichtberger
22
). Taking into consideration the experience of the
German network, the total costs in average is 20% to 40% more expensive than the cost of that
of the ballasted track, and due to the almost zero need for maintenance it tends to be lower in the
future (Giannakos
21
).
Few cost developments in the past showed that the estimated cost for maintenance after the
construction was higher in a range of 100 years for tunnels and 40 years in earth structures. The
prestige high speed line kln/Rhein-Main maintenance costs were found to be 30% more than the
estimated ones before its construction. Attention has to be paid to the fact that the high original
investment involves significant capital cost (Lichtberger
22
). The advantage of slab tracks to
perform for longer time without significant amount of maintenance comparing to conventional
ballasted track has long been understood. Results from recent evaluations in this subject propose
that slab track is in a long-term perspective, more economically efficient as shown in figure 71
(Rudolf & Dirk
32
).


Figure 71: Time depending value, ballasted track and slab track (Rudolf & Dirk
32
)

The cheapest slab track per meter that can be found nowadays costs 500, the average price for
ballasted track per meter costs 350. Most slab track designs nowadays cost 750 to 1100 /meter
76

(superstructure costs). Although recent studies suggest that the price of the slab track decreases
with the increasing of the constructed line, the price factor still remains 1.5-2 times more than the
costs of a ballasted track (Lichtberger
22
).
The economic advantage of the slab track against the ballasted track increase only from the
decreased need of maintenance required for unballasted track, e.g. the Rheda system used at the
Bielefeld Hamm route in Germany, which has withstood up to 200 km/h since 1972, is
operating all these years almost maintenance free (Nigel & Franz
26
). On the other side the
maintenance of ballasted track has been improving all the time. Ballastless track need
maintenance too and in many cases can be proved very expensive depending on the damages
nature. The possible repairs in a slab track will take much more time and money due to the non
automated rehabilitation techniques. This has been proved at the high speed line Berlin-
Hannover. A settlement defect (20mm) forced the trains to slow down at this point (70km/h).
The repairs included lifting of the track and compactness in the area of 2-6 m depth. This works
were carried out by special machinery during night shifts resulting to a very expensive remedy
plan. If in the future the slab track found to be less reliable in terms of maintenance need, the
economic efficiency pattern of the slab track against the ballasted track will be very poor
(Lichtberger
22
).
The only clear case where slab track is economically efficient as against the ballasted track is in
tunnels. This can be stated safely at least for tunnels where there is no need for extra treatment at
the substructure (e.g. no need for ballast mats). In earth structures and in open areas, ballasted
track is established to be the most economically efficient choice. In earth structures and open
areas the price factor for slab track construction in many cases (long term settlements etc) is 2-
2.5 higher than for ballasted track (Lichtberger
22
).
In a study conducted in 2007 (Steenbergen, Metrikine & Esveld
23
) it was shown that by
increasing the width or/and by applying eccentric reinforcement in the concrete bearing layer
(CBL), a significant amount of soil treatment can be avoided. The increased stiffness of the slab
track in many cases can replace the need of massive soil improvements when slab track is
applied in earth structures, making it economically competitive comparing to the ballasted track.
As reported by Bilow & Randich
9
the construction cost of the Shinkansen system is 18% higher
in cuts and 24% higher in fill sections than in ballasted tracks. The labour costs for maintenance
are expected to be 30% lower than that required for ballasted track and the acceptable maximum
settlement must be 30mm. The overall performance of this system is found to be satisfactory
except for minor cracking due to alkali-silica reaction, cement asphalt mortar layers, and some
warping of slabs in tunnels. The maintenance costs found to be 0.18 to 0.33 times that of
ballasted track and the average total cost of the Shinkansen system 1.3 times more that of
ballasted track, suggesting that the difference in construction costs will be balanced in 8 to 12
years.
77

In the U.S., the construction cost for class 4 ballasted tracks is approximately $970,000/mile and
for class 9 ballastless track is about $1,240,000/mile. The annual cost for maintenance in
ballasted tracks on heavy tonnage routes, including train delays and reroutes, is estimated to be
$50,000/mile excluding the cost of tie replacement. The same cost for slab tracks is about
$10,000/mile annually. Regarding to the above mentioned maintenance costs, it is evident that in
a period of less than 8 years the slab track will recover the difference of the construction cost
(Kucera, Bilow & Ball
44
).
According to Profillidis
26
the consruction costs of the Rheda and Zublin system were 950 /m
and 800 /m respectively (2006) comparing with the conventional ballasted track which costs of
510 /m. Similarly the construction costs for slab track systems in France are almost twice that
of ballasted track. The maintenance costs for slab track systems in Germany and J apan have been
proved to be approximately 10% and 20 to 30% respectively of that required for ballasted track.
As stated by Miodrag
24
, the slab track systems can be economically competitive comparing with
ballasted track systems. The following table is illustrating this potential.

Table 7: Summary of costs for the superstructure, excluding the concrete slab, for various
systems in USD/yd (Miodrag
24
)


In another study conducted by Zoeteman & Esveld
47
a life cycle cost model (LCCA) for an
embedded rail structure (ERS) was developed taking into account the labour costs, subgrade,
traffic characteristics, traffic intensities, maintenance concepts, maintenance slots regime and
risks. The study focused on the construction of the ERS railway track only comparing to the
ballasted track. In figure 71 the results are clearly illustrated and the results show a 40% higher
construction costs for the ERS and 20% less total discounted life cycle costs comparing to the
ballasted tracks used in Netherlands.
78


Figure 72: Outcomes of a LCCA comparing Ballasted track and ERS (Zoeteman & Esveld
47
)

One very important life cycle cost study published in 2008 by Kondapalli & Billow
37
for PCA
(Portland Cement Association) is summarizing the economic benefits of the slab track as
compared to ballasted track when used in heavy freight traffic and combined freight and high
speed rail service. Three prototypes were analysed as shown in table 8 and slab track prove to
offer 7% to 11% total savings comparing to ballasted track.

Table 8: Present value of costs in Dollars per mile for three prototypes (Kondapalli & Billow
37
)


In a LCC analysis conducted by Esveld
6
the construction as well as the annual costs of three slab
track (1.Rheda structure, 2.ERS not integrated into the concrete sub-structure, 3.ERS integrated
into the concrete substructure) and two ballasted designs (1.conventional ballasted track,
2.Ballasted track with high-speed specifications) are found and compared. The cost estimations
79

include only the cost of the superstructure on top of the concrete sub-structure. The results are
summarized in figure 73 and table 9 below.

Figure 73: Annual costs in EUR/m based on NPV analysis (Esveld
6
)


Table 9: Construction and annual costs (EUR/m) for four different slab track design
configurations and one ballasted track with high speed specifications (Esveld
6
)

Despite several effects such as, higher availability of the track, lower dead weight on engineering
structures, reduced structure height and savings on noise-reducing measures, were not taken into
consideration, the LCC analysis clearly illustrates the advantages of the slab track designs.
According to Darr
11
the slab track designs that have been used in Deutsche Bahns network so
far, function very satisfactorily by maintaining their track-bed stability even under high-speeds
and heavy traffic loads. On the other side, the ballasted tracks needed maintenance work very
frequently in order to keep the track aligned properly regarding the standards for high-speed
lines. These maintenance works result to high costs and reduce the availability of the lines. The
diagram shown in figure 73 confirms Darrs
11
statement about track stability of slab track against
ballasted track. The value Q is a quality coefficient which has arrived from geometrical records
taken by a self-propelled track measuring vehicle, working over ballasted and slab track sections
in Deutsche Bahns network for five years. Q value incorporates the following parameters:
transverse elevation, longitudinal elevation, direction and buckling. The lower the Q value the
80

better the track-bed alignment. The maximum acceptable limit of Q is 100, and it has been
exceeded from various ballasted tracks even though they were thoroughly maintained in the
meantime to correct track alignment (see right side of the diagram). As it can be observed in
figure 74 the slab track systems kept a very high quality of track alignment with no need for
maintenance. The results of this study indubitably indicate that slab tracks perform much better
under high-speeds staying maintenance free, providing a more cost effective solution in a long
term perspective.


Figure 74: Alignment of slab track and adjacent sections of ballasted track (Darr
11
)




81

6 Slab Track Modeling

The aim of this chapter is to develop a 3-D model of a slab track using ABAQUS FEA software
in order to perform an analysis under static loading. The results are compared with the results
obtained from a similar 3-D modelling of a ballasted track (Feng
14
). This comparison clarifies
the different structural behaviours of ballasted and ballastless tracks. The simulated slab track
system has high flexural stiffness and it belongs to the discrete rail support category with
encased sleepers in the concrete bearing layer (similar to Rheda).

6.2 ABAQUS Modules

The different modules that are used for the slab track modelling are the following:
Parts module is used to create different separated parts.
Property module to assign different properties to the different parts.
Assembly module to assemble the model by combining the different parts.
Step module to create the required simulation steps.
Interaction module to allow different parts to interact together.
Loads module to create loads, set the boundary conditions and the predefined fields.
Mesh module to mesh the model according to the element type used as well as the
geometry of the model.

6.3 Elements

A model can be designed in 3D space, 2D planar space and axisymmetric space. There are many
different kind of elements that can be used to build a model in ABAQUS. Those are:
Beam element
Solid element
Rigid element
Spring and Dashpot element
For this 3D slab track model, beam elements (Euler-Bernoulli) were used for the rail, solid
elements for the sleepers and the track-bed, and spring elements for the rail-sleeper connections.
82

6.4 Type of analysis performed

The 3D slab track model has been built to study the global response of the railway track system
under static loading simulating the loading of a train. Hence a general static analysis is
performed to derive deflection and stress values indicating the overall performance of the track
in order to compare it with the performance of a ballasted track under the same loading
conducted by Feng
14
.

6.5 Model Description

The analysed 3D model is similar to the German slab track Rheda 2000. All dimensions and
properties used for the model are identical to the real life Rheda 2000 design system. This system
has high flexural stiffness and is one of the most used slab track designs around the world. The
main reason the author decided to simulate this ballastless system is the detailed information that
can be found in bibliography about its properties, dimensions and design procedures.

6.5.1 Models Geometry

The geometry of the model is clearly illustrated in the following figures. The cross section
detailed dimensions are shown in figure 75 and 76 and are identical to a typical Rheda 2000
design. The rail used is UIC60 and its the standard selection for high speed railways (see figure
77). In figure 78 the actual model is depicted together with some basic dimensions for each layer
of the track. The figure 79 is showing the whole 42.9 m long 3D slab track model designed in
ABAQUS.

83


Figure 75: Dimensions of the slab track model in mm (cross-section) (Rail One
30
)



Figure 76: Track top-view dimensions and sleeper of the 3D model

72
1
7
2
3
7
.
5
1
6
.
9
150
16.5

Figure 77: Cross-section of UIC 60 rail
84




Figure 78: Slab track model in ABAQUS



Figure 79: The full length 3-D slab track model

6.5.2 Properties

The properties for all the structural components needed to build the model are clearly shown in
table 10.



85

Table 10: Properties of the slab track model components
Track
Components
Unit
weight,
(kg/m)
Modulus of
elasticity, E
(Gpa)
Poisson's
ratio, v
Rail 7850 207 0.28
Sleeper 2400 70 0.2
CBL 2400 34 0.2
HBL 2400 5 0.2
FPL 2400 0.12 0.2
Subsoil 2000 0.01 0.4

6.5.3 Loads

To study the effect of standard train loading for high speed railways a 42.9 m long slab track is
modelled. As shown in figure 80 the technical specifications for interoperability relating to
rolling stock O
BA
=2.6m and O
BS
=4.9m were taken respectively according to the UIC code. In
figure 81 the load formation used in the 3D slab track model is indicated. The loads were applied
in a static linear step from 0 to 100% to find equilibrium. The actual designed ABAQUS model
under the UIC standard loading is shown in figure 81.

Figure 80: Static load of passing train
86



Figure 81: Loading of slab track model in ABAQUS

6.6 Comparison of Ballasted and Slab track models

In this chapter the displacement and stress diagrams of the slab track model are illustrated in
figure 82 and 84 respectively. The same diagrams are depicted in figures 83 and 85 for an
identical 3D ballasted model taken from a study conducted by Feng
14
. The magnitude of
displacement for both models showing the deformation pattern of the railway track is illustrated
in figure 85 and 86. The values of displacements and stresses for both models were taken 0.54
and 3m respectively under the top surface of the concrete bearing layer (CBL) and along the
centre line of the track bed.

87


Figure 82: Slab track displacements along the path


Figure 83: Ballasted track displacements along the path

88


Figure 84: Slab track stresses along the path



Figure 85: Ballasted track stresses along the path


89


Figure 86: Magnitude of displacement of the slab track model showing the deformation pattern



Figure 87: Magnitude of displacement of the ballasted model showing the deformation pattern

The results indicate that the slab track model deflects considerably less than the ballasted model
under the same loading conditions. The stress values obtained from the previous mentioned
depth (3m from the top of the CBL) for the slab track model are considerably lower than those
obtained from the ballasted track due to the significantly higher flexural stiffness of the Slab
90

track. The stress results were taken 3m below the top layer to find out what is the influence of the
forces in the subsoil which is the softer part of the structure. The slab track model exerts
considerably less stresses suggesting that the whole structure will maintain its geometry for
much longer time. The displacement results were taken at the bottom of the hydraulically bonded
layer or the top of the frost protection layer. It is obvious that the HBL and the CBL can resist
deformations more effectively comparing to the ballasted track due to their higher structural
stiffness.
Observing the figures 86 and 87 someone can realise how differently the two track beds behave
under loading. The slab track deformation is smoother by distributing the loads in much larger
areas. On the other side the ballasted track deformation is sharper near the points where the load
is located and almost undeformed at the areas far from the loads. This is due to the significantly
lower stiffness of the ballasted track bed which is unable to distribute the forces in large areas.





91

7 Conclusions & further recommendations

All the different slab track systems available are introduced in this thesis. The systems are
categorized according to their construction principles and a detail description of each system is
given. Information and detailed description on structural behavior, design dimensions, country of
origin, further developments, and in many cases description of the construction method, of the
slab track system give a better understanding in this subject. Knowing the peculiarities of each
slab track system, it is easier to decide which is the most suitable to use in a specific railway
project.
The structure of ballastless tracks and the properties of each layer are analytically described in
this thesis. The application of slab track has certain limitations resulting to special requirements:
for the subsoil, in transition points, for noise emissions and vibrations, for signaling and electro-
technical installations, when applied in tunnels and bridges. Many different ways to meet these
requirements for each case are explained. Knowledge of how to deal with these requirements is
crucial to ensure a successful slab track construction and future smooth running operations.
The differences between slab track systems and ballasted tracks as well as their advantages and
disadvantages have been discussed. It is known that the ballasted track is the dominant structure
used today, though the advantages of slab track comparing to ballasted track especially for high
speed lines and freight lines are significant. It has been shown in the thesis that each slab track
has its own characteristics in every aspect. The demand for slab track use is rising, and these
must be clearly recognised in order to make future improvements and select the most suitable
slab track according to the needs of each project.
The construction costs of ballastless systems maybe higher, but the reduced need for
maintenance combined with the high structural stability and their longer lifespan as well as the
higher demands of the new high speed lines suggest that in many cases the use of slab track
construction is more feasible. To select the appropriate track system to be used, the definition of
specific evaluation criteria which can reliably test its efficiency is crucial. References have been
given for possible criteria to be considered in order to indicate the best solution. The LCC studies
done by different researchers also show that slab track has net benefit of 7-11% compared to
ballasted track. It is recommended that LCC and LCCA should be included in the decision
process of track form selection.
Finally, a 3D slab track model was created to check the global response of the railway track due
to passing train load. The results were compared with an identical 3D ballasted model. As
expected, a slab track model with high flexural stiffness similar to Rheda 2000 deforms
considerably less than a ballasted track. The ballasted track is unable to distribute the forces in
large areas resulting to extensive deformations and high stresses around the loading areas. The
results suggest that the need of maintenance and the life cycle of a slab track would be
92

considerably less and considerably higher (at least double), respectively. The outcome of the
study is valid in favourable conditions for both models showing their principal behaviour under
static loading.
To conclude, the author would like to urge the need for further studies in slab track performance
in terms of structural stability, maintenance need and overall cost analysis in order to better
understand the limitations of the slab track concept. Updates of the most successful slab track
designs must be implemented as the knowledge about their performance increases. Most slab
track systems that are of significant age (~40 years) in many cases have been proved better than
ballasted tracks, others not. This depends mainly in the geological conditions under the slab track
superstructure (weak soil, stiff stable soil, tunnels etc). It is important to have in mind that the
slab tracks designed in 1970s nowadays have been considerably improved. Hence the derived
results and conclusions from older designs may be able to indicate successfully the principal
behaviour of slab tracks but on the other side they could be proved less representative for the
new or updated designs. The slab track designs gain more and more popularity in railway
projects as the railway speed increases. There are many newly updated designs constructed
recently around the world and much more to be built in the near future. This fact alone show that
in the following years the knowledge about the slab track systems will increase rapidly allowing
for much more accurate comparisons with the ballasted systems. Slab tracks may be proved to be
the dominant design in the future high-speed railways.













93

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